Force Bond: Licensed
by KittandChips
Summary: Set between Force Bond 2 and 3. Luke feels the time has arrived to unleash himself on the skies of Coruscant. Vader isn't so sure.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary**: This is part of the Force Bond series, an AU where Vader raises Luke, but is a complete story unto itself. It is set between FB2 and FB3. Luke feels the time has arrived to unleash himself on the skies of Coruscant. Vader isn't so sure.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

* * *

Government departments on Coruscant reminded Luke Skywalker of a circus attraction he'd seen once called 'The Revolving Door of Doom'. He'd certainly experienced more than his fair share of them, having lived in an Imperial Family Services holding center for several weeks. During that time, he'd seen rampant bribery, obsessive and bureaucratic administrators, indifferent and frustrated workers, and a vast cynicism about the galaxy in general, permeating everyone from the administrator to the droid that manned the reception desk. From what little he'd seen of the Coruscant airway licensing office, it was similarly afflicted.

He'd come here to get his speeder learner license, but it was proving more difficult than he initially anticipated. The first time he'd lined up he was provided with a five page form. After filling that out, he'd lined up again, only to find he still had to fill in an additional form as he wasn't born on Coruscant. To make it worse, apparently someone had made a mistake on his immigration form, and his residency status was listed as a visitor.

Finally, he was allowed to sit the initial theory test, which took him all of ten minutes to score full marks. Now he was in line for the third and hopefully final time. His friend Ben had gone off on a fast food run, leaving Luke with nothing to do but stare at the other people trying to get to the front of the endless queues. There were species from every corner of the galaxy. He was amusing himself by seeing how many he could name.

"Next, please."

Luke looked up at the bored-sounding voice, and he saw his turn had come. He quickly walked up to the counter and produced all his forms, plus the datachip he'd received from the test program. The droid slotted them into his chest terminal and studied the output.

"Well?" Luke said after a period of silence. "Can I have my license now?"

"No."

"Why not?!" Luke felt his hold on his temper start to slip. "I've been here for two hours. What's wrong with the forms now?"

"Nothing is wrong with the forms," the droid said, sliding them back across the counter. "However, there is a problem with your age."

"I turned fifteen standard years last week," Luke said. "That means I can apply for a learner license. I've read all the conditions hundreds of times."

"I have the conditions programmed into my memory," the droid replied in a vaguely superior tone. "You are right - you can apply for a learner license. However, we cannot issue one without a parent or guardian's signature. Also, please note the parent or guardian who signs for you must be a holder of a legal Coruscant speeder's license, and they must enter their license number in the space provided."

The droid slid yet another form across the table. "Ask your parents to sign this, young human. You will also need to attach a birth certificate and proof of your address."

"Birth certificate? Where am I supposed to get that?"

"You would have been issued with one when you were born."

"Well, that was a long time ago."

"The Imperial registrar's office for births and deaths can provide you with a copy. You will need to provide them with the location of your birth and two other forms of identification."

"Okay," Luke said, deciding he'd have to come back to that one. "How about proof of address?"

"A hardcopy printout of your details from the Imperial tax department will suffice."

The tax department. The neighbors. Luke vaguely recalled breaking one of their windows with a toy rocket gone awry. Hopefully they had forgotten about that by now.

"If I get the birth certificate and proof of address, is there any chance of waving the need for a parental signature?" Luke asked.

"No."

"But -"

"No. Next, please!"

"But my father is Lord Vader," Luke said quietly. "He's really busy. Do you really want me to bother him with this kind of thing when he's supposed to be running the galaxy?"

"Good one. Now are you going to leave quietly, or do I have to call security?" The droid gestured with one of its many appendages towards a menacing security droid standing by the door.

Luke turned away, his head drooping. Two hours waiting in line and all for nothing. His father would never say yes. When he'd last hinted at the fact that he would soon be old enough to get his learner's license, his father had made some comment about his overactive imagination.

He nearly bumped into Ben on his way out. His friend was carrying a paper bag full of fast food.

"What happened?"

"He said I needed my father's permission."

"Why didn't the droid tell you that right at the start?"

"Because he's a bundle of loose wires," Luke said. "Blast it, Ben! My father is never going to say yes ... I'm going to be stuck on the ground _forever_."

"You could try faking his signature."

"I also need his Coruscant speeder's license number," Luke said. "Who knows where he keeps that."

Ben was munching on a burger. "There's a HoloNet site where you can get all that kind of information. I've seen my Dad using it to get his tax number. You'll need his password though."

"It's probably no1sithlord," Luke said. He and Ben were walking through a transparent tube that led to one of the main walkways in Imperial city. Speeder traffic was flying both overhead and underneath, giving Luke the impression of being surrounded by the one thing he wanted to do more than anything else - if only the combined forces of his father and the Imperial licensing office did not stand in his way. He could of course fly around without a license, but he'd rather not tempt doom in the form of Coruscant Traffic Control.

"Maybe you should just wait until you are eighteen, then you won't need to go through all this," Ben suggested. "You can get a license at eighteen without his permission."

"I've been waiting for fifteen years already! I can't wait any longer! Do you know what it feels like to see all those speeders in the hangar every morning and not be allowed to fly them?"

"There are more important things in life than flying a speeder, you know."

Luke groaned. "I'll see you at school tomorrow."

"Don't you want some of this food?" Ben asked.

Luke was already walking away.

* * *

According to a well-reputed galactic tour guide, Reeni Core was a mid-rim, moderately prosperous world, worth visiting for its famous orchestra and spectacular celestial phenomena. After ten minutes spent listening to a report from the Imperial governor, Darth Vader intended on seeing that 'home to the stupidest sentient beings in the known galaxy' was also added to that list. Sometimes he had to wonder if planets _wanted_ to incite his anger.

What had begun as a relatively minor dispute about a stockpile of weapons had now erupted into open rebellion. Scenes of locals burning the Imperial flag in the streets of the capital had to be removed from the HoloNet in their hundreds. Including one particularly unflattering vid involving an effigy of him.

The only positive thing in all of this was Governor Jala. Vader had been instrumental in his promotion in the first place, and now he was proving his value. The man's competence was well-illustrated by the fact that he had chosen to contact him in this instance, instead of pressing on with the arrogant resolve that had proven the downfall of many of his peers.

"Lord Vader," the governor said, "President Gysin has been pleading with me for the opportunity to deal with this uprising internally. Even as we speak, he has ordered thousands of the planetary security guard to round up the protestors. Our troops stand ready to invade, but I am in two minds about giving the order. Perhaps it would be a better course of action to give Reeni Core a chance to deal with this themselves."

"The Reeni Core rebels will lose their resolve if they are forced to fight against their own people," Vader agreed, addressing the medium-sized hologram on the conference room table. "You may hold off the troops for now, but inform President Gysin that he has one standard day to publicly execute those responsible. Advise him that if he cannot restore order to Reeni Core, we are more than willing to do it for him."

"Yes, my lord," Governor Jala said. "I will meet with him immediately."

"Keep me updated, Governor."

After the call had ended, Vader stepped away from the holocom terminal and left the room thinking over the situation. His younger self might have ordered the invasion immediately, but perhaps, after all these years, a small part of Palpatine was starting to rub off on him. A very, very small part.

At the far end of the corridor, the elevator lights indicated a pending arrival. Vader stretched out with the Force, recognizing his son's presence. He was met with a mood that almost caused Vader to step back into the serenity of the conference room.

When the elevator doors slid open, Luke stepped out without looking up. His feet dragged on the floor as he approached, leaving traces of wherever he'd been on the carpet. Altogether, he looked like he'd just been told his birthday was cancelled for the next ten years.

He didn't give any indication he knew his father was there. When he was less than a meter away, Vader finally spoke.

"Hello, Luke."

Luke made a noise that was somewhere between a grunt and a groan and continued on towards his bedroom door.

Vader reached out a hand to stop him. "Should I ask what I have done?"

"Huh?" Luke glanced at him briefly. "You haven't done anything."

"Then why the barely restrained hostility brewing below the surface?"

"There's no barely restrained hostility! And do you have to spy on my feelings like that?"

"I cannot help it."

Luke rolled his eyes and turned away.

Vader's first instinct was to tell Luke firmly that he wouldn't tolerate sulking without a proper explanation and insist that he wasn't going to his room without telling him exactly what was going on. But he hesitated before saying it, remembering a different approach to this situation that Luke's medic had suggested. It seemed overly accommodating to him, but he might as well try.

"If there is something bothering you, then perhaps I can help," Vader suggested, doing his best to keep his tone neutral.

It had an immediate effect. Luke stopped and looked back at him in shock. "What?"

"If there is something bothering you -"

Luke raised a hand. "I heard you the first time. Uh … nothing is wrong. Really. I'm just tired. Long day at school, you know how life can be."

"Undeniably," Vader said with mild amusement. He didn't entirely believe that tiredness was the only thing bothering Luke, but then again, he'd seen his teenage son in a bad mood over less in the past. "I am going for a flight in an hour, if you would like to join me."

He hadn't really been planning to go for a flight, but he wasn't likely to have any time to spend with Luke over the next week, given the Reeni Core situation, so he should make the most of it now. If it had the added bonus of distracting Luke from his insignificant problems, it would be worth the time. Luke always loved the suggestion of their flying together.

At least, he always had in the past. Luke's sulk suddenly turned into full blown anger in a wave that caused a tremor in the Force.

"No, thank you," Luke forced out through gritted teeth. He pushed his way into his bedroom and slapped a button on the other side.

Vader stared at the closed doors for a moment, wondering why he even bothered trying. He was about to walk away, when the doors opened again. Luke stepped back into the corridor.

"It just isn't fair!"

"Did I miss something, Son, or am I supposed to know what you are talking about?"

"I work hard at school. I stick to my curfew. I don't lie, or cheat or steal," Luke said.

Vader's comlink had started beeping during this strange tirade. "Is there a point in our future?" he interrupted.

"I put up with a lot living here," Luke continued, frowning. "You're not the easiest person to live with!"

"_I'm_ not easy to live with?" Vader said, incredulous.

Luke missed his point. "Why won't you trust me?! It's not too much to ask!"

Vader stared blankly at Luke, wondering if it was possible for him to make any less sense. The comlink stopped beeping for a moment and then started up again. Vader picked it up, causing Luke to groan and turn away.

The image of an assistant lit up on the display.

"Apologies for interrupting you, my lord. The Coruscant Immigration Service sent over a security droid. Someone at CIS was under the impression that Luke was an illegal resident."

"What?!" This afternoon was getting stranger by the minute. Vader's gaze wandered past the hologram and onto Luke.

His son waved a hand in dismissal. "They made a stupid mistake on a form."

The assistant had continued speaking. "We have advised them of the situation, and the droid has been recalled. I felt you should be informed, sir."

Vader turned off the comlink and used the Force to pull Luke back in front of him.

"Don't blame me," Luke said, raising his hands in a 'calm down' motion. "This is _your_ stupid government who can't even fill in an immigration form properly."

"Luke," Vader said, speaking in a tone he hoped would put a quick end to Luke's attitude, "what is going on?"

"I just wanted a speeder license. Is that so much to ask?"

"Do you mean you went to the airway office to apply for one? Is that where they checked your residency status?" Finally, something was starting to make sense.

"They said I need your permission. And several other less impossible things."

"Do you see anything ironic, Luke, in asking why I do not trust you? You went and did this after I had already said no."

"You didn't say I couldn't apply for a learner license."

"I said you can fly when _I_ say you can. That is the same thing."

"When are you going to say I can? When I'm sixty?"

"When you have proved you are mature. And at the rate you are going, that might very well be when you are eighty."

"You'll be dead by then anyway," Luke mumbled, just loud enough for Vader to hear.

"From stress related heart failure brought on by your reckless behaviour, I'm sure."

"I'm not as reckless as you think," Luke protested. "Why won't you give me a chance?"

"You are _every bit_ as reckless as I think," Vader said, pointing at his son. "I am going to contact the airway licensing office and make sure they _never_ give you a license. Don't waste your time in the future."

Luke visibly slumped at the words.

"We will revisit this issue in a year's time," Vader continued. "Until then, I suggest you work on your maturity."

Luke turned away and wordlessly returned to his bedroom. Vader stared after him, mildly surprised. He had been expecting some kind of verbal protest. This was far from the first argument he had weathered over this issue, and it normally took Luke far longer to realize he wasn't going to be moved. It was for his own good, of course, but his young son was too short sighted to see it.

* * *

It took all Luke's energy to get out of bed the next day. He'd been dreaming about flying, of course. He didn't remember dreaming about anything else for the last three months. The walk to school was nothing short of depressing, due to the constant noise of the endless overhead speeder traffic. When he met up with Ben, his friend was oblivious to his mood. He appeared to have picked up an overnight addiction to a handheld hologame.

"I hate my life," Luke said, finally, as they rode an elevator up to one of the school's landing pads.

Ben didn't respond. It was a wonder he could see where he was going, given the all encompassing attention he was giving the game. His fingers were a blur as they flew over the buttons.

"I might leave school and become a professional juggler at Hologram Funworld," Luke said, testing his friend.

Ben finally paused the game and glanced over at Luke. "Don't you think you're overreacting? He didn't say he'd _never_ let you fly. I don't know anyone in our year who has a speeder license."

"That's because they all have chauffeurs. Anyway, you don't understand. Flying, it's … it's everything. If I had to choose one thing to do for the rest of my life, it would be flying."

"He'll let you fly eventually. You're expecting too much from him. This is _Lord Vader_ we're talking about."

"Why do you always say his name in that hushed tone?"

"Would you prefer I yelled it?"

They'd walked out onto the landing pad at this point, and there was a crowd of students milling about, so Luke had to admit that hushed tones were the preferred option. Ben turned to enter an entranceway corridor, but Luke was distracted. There was a collection of speeders parked over the far side of the pad. Most of them were the mid-to-high priced showroom range, no doubt owned by the senior students. But one stood out like a flashing red siren. He was beside it in a moment.

Ben came over at a slower pace, but he was still curious to see what had caught his friend's attention.

"It's nice," he admitted.

"It's amazing," Luke corrected. "Look at this custom paint job. You couldn't pay for a finish like this."

"Looks like a convertible," Ben said. "What model is it?"

"Some of the body looks like it's from an early model Narglatch, but the lights look like a Desler. I wish I could see under the hood." Luke glanced around. There was no owner in sight. A quick look couldn't hurt, could it? His fingers were already reaching towards the metal as his mind debated the question.

A sudden burning sensation in his fingers put a quick end to that idea. A security shield lit up for a brief instant, sending him reeling back with shock.

Ben stifled a laugh. "Come on, leave it alone, Luke. We're about to be late."

"I wonder who owns it," Luke said, rubbing his fingers as he reluctantly moved away.

"My credits are on Mr Kyde."

Mr Kyde was their serious and pedantic history teacher, who could often be heard ranting about young people who flew too fast. It was quite possibly the last type of airspeeder he'd ever own.

"Very funny," Luke said. "It has to be a student … someone whose father isn't a worry worm like mine. I have to find him."

"I bet it's some arrogant nerf who won't let you breathe near it, never mind look under the hood," Ben said. "That's what most of the seniors are like." Ben thought for a moment, idly scratching his upper lip. "At least, that's what they're like to me. You might have more luck. Maybe if you waited on the landing pad after school."

"Good idea," Luke said, feeling his mood brighten.

The speeder continued to occupy his thoughts during the day's classes. His teachers reminded him several times to focus on the lesson, but his mind was far away. One day, he'd own a customized speeder. Open cockpit, dual afterburners for extra thrust, and maybe a couple of tail fins. Plus a red and white paint job.

When lunchtime rolled around, Luke decided he couldn't wait. He told Ben he'd meet him in the library later and then made his way back to the landing pad. It was a long shot, but it didn't hurt to check.

He was surprised to find two groups of students already there. The landing pad was normally a quiet place where junior students hid from bullies. One was a group of younger students who were playing with a popular hoverball game. The other was a group of senior girls who were gathered in a close circle and talking quietly about something. Luke's eyes wandered over the parked speeders, until he found the one that had attracted his interest that morning. He had to smile at his good luck. The hood was raised, and he could hear the sound of someone tinkering.

He was about to walk over, when the hoverball came bouncing into his line of vision. It was flying up and down so fast, he had to jump sideways to avoid being struck in the head. When it came down for another bounce, reflex took over and Luke reached out a hand to grab it. The boys who owned it came rushing up. When they were close enough to see Luke - and recognize him, judging by the sudden change in their expressions - two of them fell back. The third one came forward slowly.

"Um … sorry. I'm really sorry."

"No problem," Luke said, passing it back. He grinned, hoping to show them that he wasn't anyone to be afraid off.

The hoverball was taken quickly, and then all three of them ran back into the building. Luke sighed to himself. Sometimes it felt like there was no point trying. He might as well start dressing in black and wearing a cape.

A moment later, he forgot all about it. The owner of the amazing speeder had appeared from under the hood. It was a girl. A girl who owned a customized airspeeder. Hopefully she was single and possibly available for marriage sometime in the future.

Luke stared blankly for a moment, considering ways he could go and introduce himself. Maybe he could use one of those lines he saw in holomovies. But that would only work if she hadn't seen the holomovie, otherwise he'd just look stupid. He could try a standard approach, like saying, "Hi, I'm Luke," but would that be enough to impress her?

While he was considering the options, the other girls on the landing pad suddenly broke from their circle and started crossing the distance towards the speeders.

"Hi, Pam!" one of them called.

Luke groaned to himself. There was no way he could introduce himself now, while all her friends were there. Learning her name was a small bonus, though. He'd have to see if he could find her after school. He was about to turn away, when the girl who had called out suddenly produced a spray can of some kind. A moment later, Luke realized with horror that he'd been sadly mistaken to assume they were friends. She sprayed bright orange paint all over the speeder's outer shell. Another girl scratched the paintwork with a nail file, while the third smashed a tail light with a glass bottle.

"Stop it!" Luke yelled, running over with his hands outstretched. He could hardly believe what he was seeing. "Get away from it! NO!"

His sudden appearance surprised the girls, and all but the leader dropped what they were carrying and took a step back. The leader looked up from her vandalism but didn't stop. Luke used one hand to volt himself over the back and then physically wrestled the spray can out of her hand. Her friends hastily tried to pull her away.

"Come on, let's go!"

She only laughed in response but then decided her work was done. She ran off after her friends, leaving Luke staring at their handiwork in horror.

"They've ruined it!" he said, feeling a rush of anger. "This is terrible!" He glanced at Pam, who was staring at the damage with a dazed expression. "Listen, I'll go and get the hose. Maybe it's not too late!"

He sprinted off towards the nearby fire alarm and yanked open the locker that stored one of several fire hoses. A small helper droid fell out along with the hose and automatically started assisting with unravelling it. Luke picked up the end and dragged it back towards Pam's speeder. Water started gushing out halfway over.

It worked better than he expected. The orange paint was largely still wet and must have been of a cheap variety because it washed off relatively easily. After he'd cleaned the worst of it, he went back over to remove some stubborn streaks. A large section of the landing pad had been turned orange with the residue, but Luke didn't care. The school could more than afford the cleanup bill.

"I think that's all of it," Luke said, when he returned from turning off the water. He bent down to look at the scratches. "These might be a little harder to fix. Do you still have the original paint?"

He glanced at Pam, and she nodded her head slightly. When she reached up to brush her black-dyed fringe out of her eyes, Luke saw her eye makeup was all streaked from tears.

"Are you all right?" Luke asked. "Those girls are a pack of nerfs!"

She nodded in agreement and then sat back on the hood.

"Ah, I wouldn't sit there," Luke said, raising a hand in warning. "It's still pretty wet."

"Doesn't matter," she mumbled. "Thanks for your help. You don't need to stay."

"You're welcome," Luke said. There was an awkward silence and then Luke turned back to the speeder. "I actually came here because I wanted to ask you about the speeder," he explained. "I was thinking when I saw it this morning that it looked like a mix of a Narglatch and a Desler. Am I right?"

Pam had been staring mostly at the ground until now, but she looked up quickly at his words.

"How did you know it was Narglatch?" she asked, sounding impressed. "Most of my diving buddies think it's a complete custom job."

"I know my speeders." It wasn't difficult, considering his father owned a fair proportion of them. "Diving? We have a dive team now?"

The school had missed qualifying for the regional swimming championships last month, and it was still a running joke around the locker halls.

"Traffic diving," Pam clarified. "Jumping from one speeder to another in the air."

"Oh," Luke said, feeling stupid. "You mean while it's moving?"

"Fast speeds, if you're good. Beginners start off with the speeders stationary, one about a meter above the other. One of my buddies did a three meter jump last week."

"Wow," said Luke, more than a little impressed. "You must be really brave."

Pam smiled shyly and looked down again.

"It's not as dangerous as the media make out," she mumbled. "I only know of one person who's ever been hurt, and that was only a broken wrist. As long as you know what you're doing, it's fine. Have you ever tried it?"

"I … uh … I don't think I've had the pleasure yet."

"Do you have a good speeder? You need one that can do at least 200 kph. Not for the diving, but in case the traffic patrol shows up."

Luke frowned. He wished he could tell Pam he had a collection of speeders, and his license to boot.

"I'm going diving after school today if you wanted to watch," Pam said, standing up and wiping some of the water off the hood. "That is, if you don't mind riding in a damp speeder."

"Are you kidding?" Luke said with a grin. "Damp or not, this is the best speeder I've seen."

Pam shrugged in a slightly self-conscious way and mumbled something that sounded like, "Thanks".

"Maybe I could get some towels from the gym, and we could wipe down the seats," Luke said. "Wait here, and I'll be back -" He was cut off by the end of lunch signal sounding loudly over the school comm system.

"Blast!" Luke said. "Well, I'll see you after school then."

"You better clean up before you go to class," Pam said, gesturing at Luke's tunic.

Luke glanced down and saw more than a few orange paint stains. "You're right," he admitted.

* * *

Luke was still grinning when Ben found him in the refresher a short time later.

"What happened to you?" he asked. He then caught sight of Luke's clothes. "Maybe I shouldn't ask."

"Hey, do you think I'm ready to start shaving?" Luke asked, peering at his upper lip in the mirror.

"Why?" Ben smirked. "Have you got a date?"

His smirk quickly faded when he caught sight of Luke's expression. "You have?!"

"It's not a _date_ date," Luke said.

"Then what is it? Why are you smiling in that stupid way? Who is it?"

"Pam."

"Who's Pam?"

"She owns the speeder."

"_The_ speeder?"

"Yes, that speeder. I went down to the landing pad, and she was there working on it. Then some other girls started vandalizing her speeder with spray paint." Luke paused to gesture at his clothes.

"So you played the hero and went to her rescue?"

"It was more about rescuing the speeder," Luke admitted.

"And then?"

"I helped her clean it up and then she invited me to come and watch her traffic dive after school."

Ben had been grinning throughout his story, but now his smile vanished. "Traffic diving? You mean that idiotic sport for people who have a death wish?"

"The media exaggerates the dangers," Luke protested. "As long as you know what you're doing, it's fine."

Ben made a scoffing noise.

"How would you know? You've never tried it," Luke said.

"Neither have you!" Ben paused for a moment. "You haven't, right?"

Luke shook his head. "But I'm not going to judge something before I've even seen it."

"Luke, you're talking about jumping out of a speeder in mid-air. Mid-air on Coruscant means it will take you thirty minutes to hit the ground. Thirty minutes contemplating your impending death!"

"Hey, I didn't say I was going to do it. I'm just going to watch. And no one said you had to come."

"Of course I have to come," Ben said. "No one else will be the voice of reason."

_Voice of the fun police is more like it_, Luke thought. He returned to the task of cleaning off the paint. "Class has started," he said shortly. "Can you tell the teacher I'll be another ten minutes?"

"Sure. I'll take notes for you."

Ben started walking for the exit. He stopped when he reached it and looked back.

"I guess it would be rude for me to come when I wasn't invited," he said. "Tell me how it went afterwards."

"No, it's all right," Luke said, brushing away the last of his annoyance. "I'm sure Pam won't mind if you come too."

"Then I'll try and keep my opinions about the sport to myself," Ben said.

"Try hard," Luke said, grinning.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

After school, Luke rushed from his last class down to the landing pad. Ben arrived a few minutes later. Pam didn't show up for another ten minutes, by which time Luke was getting more than a little impatient.

"Sorry," Pam said. "I had to stay back and finish a stupid test."

"No problem," Luke said. "This is my friend Ben. Is it okay if he comes too?"

"Sure." Pam pressed a button on the key, causing the security shield surrounding the speeder to deactivate. "Jump in."

Luke quickly moved around to grab the passenger seat before Ben had any ideas. His friend climbed over into the back. When Pam started the engine, it was like music to Luke's ears. He leaned back and folded his arms behind his head, intending to enjoy every moment of this.

"I should probably tell you," Pam said, glancing over at him, "that those rancors in human form that you saw at lunch have spread rumors around the senior year that you're my boyfriend."

Luke blushed. "Really?"

Ben shook his head. "High school," he mumbled.

"It wasn't so bad, though," Pam said, moving to join a traffic lane. "See, Liza - she's their pack leader - didn't realize that you were Lord Vader's son. She'd already started the rumor going before someone told her. So then she started another rumor saying that I'd been dumped, but she was starting to lose credibility by then, so no one cared."

Luke didn't know if he quite followed, but he shared Ben's sentiments. He heard enough about politics at home without getting mixed up in the high school variety.

"Why does she hate you so much?" Luke asked.

Pam shrugged. "Because I'm not like her." She was silent for a moment, and then added, "She thinks I'm weird. Everyone does. Even my family."

"You're not weird," Luke said. "You should meet my father. Now that's weird."

Ben laughed. "Like father, like son."

Luke turned around and gave him a look.

"My parents are naval lawyers," Pam said. "They're the most boring people I know. They don't even know the difference between twin turbine and exodrive." She rolled her eyes.

"At least they let you get a speeder license, though, right?" Luke suggested.

"License?" Pam said, grinning. "What's that?"

Before Luke could respond, a sudden roar overhead caused them all to duck. Luke glanced up to see a light blue dragster sweeping away on their right.

Pam laughed. "That's Kazah! He holds the record dive - three point one meters."

Kazah had looped around and was speeding up behind them. Pam slowed down to let him catch up. Luke glanced over the newly arrived speeder, noting it was a showroom model Desler, although probably with the engine silencer removed, judging by the noise it was making. Kazah looked too old to be still at school. His hair was all greased back.

When he was only a few centimetres away from Pam's speeder, he put it on autopilot and crawled over to the passenger side. Pam left one hand on the controls, and then leaned over to share a kiss with Kazah that was clearly a lot more than friendship. Luke looked away in annoyance.

They stopped when Kazah's speeder began to drift away.

"Hi Pam-pam!" he called. "Are you baby sitting?"

It took Luke a moment to realize he was referring to him and Ben.

"Leave them alone, they go to my school," she said. "Race you!"

She pushed the throttle, causing Luke to fall back hard against the seat. The speeder quickly gained speed, accelerating like a racing craft. Luke whooped with excitement, enjoying the wind in his face.

A group of speeders appeared around the next building, idling in a circle. Pam flew underneath them, and then turned around in a wide arc. Luke gripped the edges of the seat, wishing more than anything that he could take a turn at the controls. It was too soon to ask for that, though.

Pam parked the speeder directly above another one, and then put the gear in neutral.

"Hey Scarp! Hi Venny!" she called. "Incoming!"

In one movement, she vaulted herself over the driver's side door, and disappeared over the edge. Luke quickly undid his seatbelt and crawled over to see where she'd gone. She'd fallen neatly into the backseat of the speeder below. This speeder was occupied by two boys who looked around his age. It was a second-hand model dating back to the Clone Wars, and was covered in dents. The engine sounded like it was going to give up on life any day now. Luke made a mental note not to accept a ride in that speeder if traffic control did decide to show up.

Kazah came speeding up at that point. He stood up in the speeder's driver seat, yelling to the others about starting some warm up jumps. Three other speeders revved up and began flying in formation. Ben climbed over the barrier, joining Luke in the front seat. He was just in time to see Kazah jump out of his speeder and land on one flying about two meters below.

"This is the stupidest thing I have ever seen in my entire life," Ben said, gaping at the spectacle.

"It looks like fun," Luke said, grinning.

Ben quickly turned to stare at him. "No. Don't even think about it."

Suddenly, there was a loud bang behind them, and then Pam's head popped up from the backseat. "Can one of you fly?"

"Of course," Luke said, trying to lean over Ben to reach the controls. "Where do you want to go?"

"You don't have a license," Ben said, "and if your father found out, can you say military school for the next ten years?"

"I don't see my father around here, do you?" Luke said, irritated.

"His spy network probably watches your every move," Ben said, looking around at the nearby buildings.

"Oh, forget it," Pam said, crawling over the barrier to sit in the pilot's seat. "Just stay in the front, okay? I need the back clear."

Luke made a mental note to leave Ben on the landing pad next time. That was, if Pam ever invited him to come again. She flew the speeder alongside the one she'd jumped into earlier.

"Scarp, do you mind flying my speeder?"

Scarp, the younger of the two in the other speeder, immediately undid his seatbelt and crawled over. "Do I mind?!" he said, grinning. "Move over!"

Scarp's friend, Venny, was also happy to do all the flying, so Scarp and Pam could jump back and forth between each other's speeders. They kept shifting them ever further apart, and trying the jumps at higher speeds. Luke watched with growing fascination.

When Pam tired of that, she flew her speeder above Kazah's.

"Hey," she called. "Want to try three meters?"

"Me or you?" he replied, smirking.

"You, of course, Kaz," she said, rolling her eyes.

"What do I get in return?" he said, folding his arms behind his head.

"I'll do it," Luke said, suddenly.

He immediately drew Pam's attention. Kazah laughed. "Do you know how many years of experience this skill takes? Go home to your mommy."

Luke stood up angrily. Ben tried to pull him back, but he wasn't fast enough. Luke stepped over the barrier onto the backseat, and then took a running leap over to Kazah's speeder. There was a little over two meters between them, and Luke landed heavily on the passenger seat.

"Say that again?" he said, to a surprised Kazah.

The surprise quickly faded. "Anyone can do it while they're not moving, he replied, revving the engine.

"Stop it, Kazah," Pam called, from above. She sounded a little nervous. The other divers were flying up to see what the fuss was about.

"Go ahead," Luke said, standing up.

Kazah pushed the throttle, and Luke nearly lost his balance. Then he made the mistake of looking down. He'd never had a problem with heights before, but suddenly he was face to face with those estimated ten minutes it would take to even see the ground he was going to hit.

"Hope you've made out your last will and testament," Kazah called, pitching up. Once he was a fair distance from Pam's speeder, he turned around and started flying back. The others were shouting at Kazah to slow down, and he was sure he could hear Ben and Pam yelling at him to stay where he was. But Luke didn't spare them any attention.

He closed his eyes and pictured himself making this jump, falling smoothly through the air and landing right beside Pam …

When he opened them, Kazah seemed to have slowed right down. Pam's speeder was coming up below, on his left hand side. All he had to do was jump over the side of Kazah's speeder, and he'd land smoothly in the middle of the front seat. He bounced once to get some momentum, and then leapt over the side.

For a moment, he received a terrifyingly detailed view of the vast Coruscant infrastructure below. Then Pam's speeder rushed up below him. Rather than landing smoothly in the front seat, his feet made hard contact with the rear spoiler. He fell forward, and his hands closed desperately around the back of the seats. Fortunately, they gripped something solid and strong, and he could easily drag himself back into the seat.

"Luke! You crazy idiot!" Ben said, looking as frightened as Luke had ever seen him. "Are you all right?"

Luke was grinning too much to answer. He'd never felt such a rush of adrenaline.

"You have some nerve, Luke," Pam said, shaking her head. She looked up at Kazah, who'd looped around to see what had happened to Luke. "Hey, Kaz! How far was that? Three meters? You better watch your record, hun!"

Kazah insisted it was only two-point-five, but Luke didn't care either way.

"Let's go again," Luke said, between deep breaths.

* * *

An hour later, Kazah had thought he heard the traffic patrol, and everyone hastily departed, much to Luke's disappointment. Pam dropped he and Ben back at the school, at his request. As soon as her speeder had disappeared into the skies, Ben started his tirade. Luke knew it wouldn't be far away, but he had expected them to reach the elevator, at least.

"Luke, you're crazy. Crazy!"

Luke only smiled in response.

"I thought Pam and Kazah were two cards short of a deck, but they have nothing on you," Ben said, shaking his head.

"I think Kazah just pretended he heard the traffic patrol so he wouldn't have to see me beat his record," Luke said. "I was almost there. That last jump was three meters."

"I can't believe they consider that a sport," Ben said, following Luke into the elevator.

"It's the best sport ever invented," Luke said. "Pam said something about tomorrow. I can't wait."

Ben turned to gape at him. "You're not going again."

"Of course," Luke said. "I've got to beat Kazah's record."

"Why?" Ben said. "So you can end up as a smear on the side of a building?"

"I don't expect you to understand."

"Is this about Pam?" Ben said. "Because she's way too old for you. And I know she's dumb, but she's not so dumb as to leave Kazah for you, just because you have less self-preservation instinct that he does."

"Come on!" Luke said. "Give me some credit."

"What is the point, then?" Ben asked. "Is this about spiting your father because he won't let you get a license?"

"Look, Ben, what do we do with our lives? Get up, go to school, come home, sleep, go to school … don't you ever wish something exciting would happen? Don't you want to do something fun for a change? I'm not going to spend my whole life sitting in a room staying safe," Luke said, walking ahead of Ben as they passed through an air tunnel. "That's not living."

"So jumping out of a speeder is living? Because it looks more like trying to die to me."

"I'll see you tomorrow," Luke said, tiring of the conversation. They had nearly reached the corner where they parted ways.

"Luke, wait."

Luke glanced back.

"You're not really going to jump again, are you?"

"Of course. Why?"

"Because I can't just sit back and let you do that. You could fall and die."

"I won't fall," Luke said. "You saw me - I'm good at it."

Ben didn't meet his gaze. "If you go again, I'd have to tell your father."

"You wouldn't," Luke smirked. "You can't even breathe around him, never mind talk to him."

"I would," Ben said, not smiling.

Luke stared at him for a moment, trying to decide if he was serious. "You'd purposely get me in trouble with my father?"

Ben didn't reply.

"What kind of friend does that?" Luke said, annoyed.

"What kind of friend would let someone do something completely stupid that could get them killed?"

Luke was about to continue arguing, but then he stopped. He could see why Ben was thinking this way, but his friend just didn't understand. No one could understand.

"Fine," Luke said. "I won't jump again. Happy?"

Ben nodded. "See you tomorrow," he said.

"Sure." Luke turned away.

* * *

Vader had been attending an appointment in an interrogation chamber when he received the message that Governor Jala needed to speak with him urgently. The deadline they had given Reeni Core had expired an hour ago. This call was either to inform him of the need for invasion, or to deliver the good news that the troops could be safely deployed elsewhere. Vader had a sense of which one it was before he even caught sight of the man's face. People rarely used the word urgent when delivering good news.

"Lord Vader," the governor said, bowing in greeting.

"Governor Jala," Vader said. "Has Reeni Core been restored to order?"

"I am afraid not, my lord. The president made a show of complying with our requests, but your intelligence agent has provided incontrovertible evidence that the Reeni Core government is sympathetic to the rebels."

Vader had sent one of his best field agents to assist the governor a week ago. A move that had proved very useful.

"Then we must respond immediately," Vader said. "Begin landing the troops. Have the agent withdraw from Reeni Core and return to Coruscant immediately. The evidence he has collected will be needed to pacify the senate."

"Yes, sir. I'm afraid I have some more worrying information. Our orbital scans have detected efforts to gather military forces on the neighbouring Hammo."

"I was under the impression that planet was in recovery from environmental disaster," Vader said, surprised.

Governor Jala nodded. "There has been accusations in their local media that the Empire has not done enough to assist them. Reeni Core no doubt used this to secure their military support. Reeni Core has been a primary source of aid for the Hammo people."

Vader tapped his fingers against the comm terminal, making a note to arrange an investigation into why sufficient Imperial aid had not reached Hammo. He could already imagine the results, which would undoubtedly involve some corrupt politician's private bank accounts. Whoever was responsible was going to answer to him personally. The Empire was now facing the prospect of a multi-planet war in the Reeni system, the costs of which would far outweigh any aid Hammo could possibly have required.

"I have dispatched a diplomatic team to speak with the Hammo leadership," the governor continued. "I believe we may be able to stave off their involvement in this with little more than words."

"If their efforts fail, I will be joining you in the Reeni system," Vader said. If it was a man other than Jala in charge of this operation, he would be leaving immediately.

"Yes, sir. I will continue to keep you informed."

Vader ended the call and left the conference room, turning to head towards the elevators. Considering the previously demonstrated levels of intelligence found among the local politicians, Vader was expecting to be in hyperspace well before this time tomorrow. If not, it didn't hurt to go and inform Luke anyway.

He found his son in the hangar bay, poring over the engine of one of his newer airspeeders. Artoo and Threepio were resting to one side. Threepio said, "Hello, sir," as he approached, and Artoo gave a short beep. He received no such greeting from Luke, only a slightly resentful look, and then his son returned to inspecting the engine. It was largely a waste of time to try and figure out what, if anything, he had done to deserve such treatment, so Vader chose to ignore it.

"Luke. I will likely be departing Coruscant tomorrow. I do not know how long I will be gone, but I will be available via comlink if you should require anything."

There was no acknowledgement from his son.

"If you are looking for something to do with yourself while I am gone, there is a speeder in the workroom that you are welcome to take apart."

"Whatever," Luke mumbled. He dropped the hood of the speeder, banged it shut, and then began to walk away.

"Luke," Vader said, sharply, his temper finally getting the better of him.

"What?" Luke said, glancing back.

Vader waited for a breath cycle to force himself to stay calm, and then spoke. "Son, I realize that you are a teenager and I am your parent; therefore, we are natural enemies. But even I have been known to throw the Rebels a bone on occasion."

"When was this?" Luke asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.

Vader was silent.

Luke sighed, and then relaxed his defensive stance. "Where are you going?"

"Reeni Core."

Luke appeared none the wiser.

"Look it up," Vader suggested. "Is there anything you wish to ask before I leave?"

Luke shrugged. "No, I don't think so. What time are you leaving?"

"I expect tomorrow, late afternoon, but it may be as early as tomorrow morning."

"And you don't know for how long?"

"It all depends on how quickly the planet surrenders," Vader explained.

"Oh," Luke said. "Will you be flying in combat?"

"Unlikely. We are anticipating a ground battle."

"Hmm," Luke said. "Well, goodnight."

"Goodnight, Son."

Vader stared after him as he entered an elevator. There was something not quite right about that conversation, but, even using his Force sense, he couldn't quite say what.

* * *

Luke wasn't looking forward to school. As he anticipated, things weren't as normal between him and Ben. Part of him was still annoyed that his friend had suggested he would actually take it so far as to talk to his father. Another part suspected that Ben possibly had a good reason for thinking as he did, and that made him even more annoyed.

As if he didn't have enough things to be annoyed about, what with his father acting as if he didn't know what was making him melancholy.

He knew it wasn't good to feel like this, but it was hard to know what to do about it. The best solution he could come up with was to pretend none of it had happened, and simply try and think about something else. But every time his mind wandered, it would wander back to the thrill of the wind in his face, looking down at a speeder below …

"Luke?"

Luke sat up quickly, and looked around. The school library. Ben was sitting at a table nearby, but he hadn't been the one to call his name. Maybe he'd just been daydreaming.

There was the sound of a chair being pushed aside beside him, and he looked up to see Pam had appeared. Her heavy eye makeup gave her a look like she'd been awake all night.

"Kazah says we're on for this afternoon, south side industrial zone," she said.

Luke glanced at Ben, who was making a show of doing math homework, but it wasn't fooling Luke. His friend was listening to every word.

"Sorry," Luke said, looking at his own homework. "You'll have to count me out."

"Why? Yesterday you couldn't wait."

Before Luke could respond, a librarian droid started rolling in their direction, making 'Shhh' noises. He stood up and gestured to Pam that they should go outside.

"Did your father find out?" she asked, as soon as they were in the corridor.

Luke shook his head. "No, but I've decided I can't risk the chance that he might."

"That's a shame," Pam said. "Scarp and Venny were asking me to make sure I brought you again tomorrow."

Luke was silent, trying his best not to think about how good it would be to beat Kazah's record.

"Besides, you're a natural," Pam said, reaching up to brush her fringe out of her eyes. "It took me months to learn to do what you did on your first try."

"Look, it was fun, but -" Luke broke off as some passing students gave them odd looks. He took a step back from Pam, hoping he wasn't turning red. "I better get back to my study."

"Okay," she said, fumbling for something in her pocket. "Your choice. Here's my comlink frequency if you change your mind."

She handed him a datachip, and then left him alone. Luke stared at it for a moment, and then quickly put it in his pocket.

Ben was watching him when he returned to the library. They continued to study in silence until the end of the lunch break. When the time came to return to class, Ben walked beside him after they'd gathered up their books.

"How did she take it?" he asked.

"Take what?"

"When you told her you weren't going."

"She had no problem with it," Luke said, distantly.

"Do you want to go to the arcade after school?" Ben asked. "Greein said they had some new games last week."

Luke considered it. Normally, he would have been excited about a new game at the arcade, but not today. Flying virtual craft would only remind him how far he was from ever being able to fly the real thing.

"Maybe tomorrow," Luke said. "I have to finish that essay for history."

Ben gave him a slightly amused look. "That essay was rescheduled for next month. Mr Kyde said he was bringing the test forward, and delaying the essay. Weren't you paying attention yesterday?"

There was little point claiming that he was.

"I guess not," Luke said. "Anyway, I don't feel like going to the arcade tonight."

"It's not because you're really going traffic jumping, are you?" Ben asked. "And you're just pretending otherwise?"

Luke couldn't believe what he was hearing. He stopped walking. "As if threatening to tell my father isn't enough, now you're accusing me of lying!"

"I was just asking -"

"Forget it," Luke said, walking on. He didn't look back.

* * *

Luke couldn't stand to be alone in his room after school. All he could think about was how angry his father and Ben were making him. His father had mentioned there was a speeder he could take apart. That would go at least part way towards taking his mind of his increasingly frustrating life. He was wary of going to the hangar bay, lest he bump into his father, but he was willing to take the risk.

When he exited the elevator, he found Lev was waiting on the other side. He was carrying a clipboard in one arm, and two viewscreens in the other.

"Hi," Luke said. "My father isn't around, is he?"

"He's over at IMH in a military briefing," Lev explained, sounding as if that was one more question that he didn't need. "If you need him, you should contact him as soon as possible. He's due to leave Coruscant shortly."

Luke raised a hand in protest. "No. Actually, I was trying to avoid him."

"Then it's probably a good idea to stay away from here," Lev said, moving past him into the elevator. His comlink started beeping halfway in, and he struggled to find a free hand to grab it.

"Lieutenant Dorany, here," he said, switching it on. Luke didn't hear what the caller said, but he heard Lev's response as the elevator doors slid closed. "They've done what?!"

Luke frowned. Normally Lev would have at least bothered to ask him if there was anything wrong. Not that he could have expected much sympathy from him, anyway. He would probably have said, in a well-meaning but patronizing tone, that there were more important things in life than flying. As for the traffic diving, he'd have agreed entirely with Ben on that one.

But he had provided one piece of important information. He shouldn't hang around here.

After a brief moment of indecision, Luke reached into his pocket and pulled out Pam's comlink frequency.

* * *

As he entered a meeting room in the heart of Imperial military headquarters, Vader found himself thinking over all the past battles he'd faced similar in nature to this one. Even with his vast experience in the nature of war, it still managed to surprise him how fast a situation could turn.

This morning, it had seemed his presence might no longer be required at Reeni Core. The Hammo government, after hours of talks with Imperial diplomats, had agreed to fully support the Empire in any action taken against their neighbor. Governor Jala had landed two thousand troops at the capital, and initial reports suggested they were encountering little opposition.

But, as often was the way where rebels were concerned, it was too good to be true. There were ten people attending this meeting, half in hologram form from a star destroyer at Reeni Core. This meeting was more for the benefit of the senior military strategists, as Vader has already been informed of the situation fifteen minutes earlier. He waited in the shadows, watching as Jala made his report.

"Gentlemen, it is my unfortunate duty to deliver bad news. A minefield has been activated around Reeni Core, preventing anyone for entering or leaving the planet. We are unable to even communicate with our troops already on the ground."

"A minefield?" a general repeated. "How did they possibly lay down a planetary wide minefield without our knowing?"

"It seems it was a historical relic from the Clone Wars," the governor said. "The asteroid field that surrounds the planet is full of dense metals which prevent our scanners from detecting where the mines have been planted. Our best engineers are currently working on adapting the scanners to overcome this problem, but it may take time that our troops do not have."

"Send in TIEs," an admiral suggested.

"We've already lost twenty pilots in the attempt," Governor Jala said. "I hesitate to waste more men on a suicide mission. Most of the causalities have been Reenian refugees attempting to escape to the neighbouring Hammo. That was how we were first alerted to the activation of these mines. Shortly afterwards, we were sent a false distress signal from ground troops requesting backup. The traitors obviously expected us to send in capital ships."

"Blasting a way through using the long range laser guns on the star destroyer?" Another suggestion from the admiral.

"We are trying," the governor said. "But the targets are too small for the computers and the asteroid field is dense. We have had some success with missiles, but progress is slow."

There was the sound of a door opening in the background, and several of the holograms looked around.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," the governor said. "My presence is required on the bridge. I will update again at the first opportunity."

Vader turned and left the room, intending to leave for Reeni Core as soon as possible. The more they stood around and discussed this, the less chance they would have of finding their troops alive.

* * *

Pam picked him up on a landing pad that connected to a shopping mall. Scarp was in the front seat, so Luke climbed over into the back. Scarp seemed far more interested in talking to him than he had yesterday. At first, Luke thought Pam must have mentioned the name Lord Vader to the others, but it soon became obvious it was entirely his own merits that warranted this attention. It made for a nice change.

Scarp talked for several minutes about his own best jumps, and then asked Luke if he could give him any hints for how to beat Kazah.

"I've been trying for ages," he explained. "But I can't get past two meters."

"Why are you talking like Luke has already beaten Kazah's record?" Pam asked Scarp, sounding a little annoyed.

"We all know he's going to," Scarp said. "Look at how close he got yesterday."

Luke grinned. "You just have to concentrate. Focus on where you want to land. Think of gravity as your friend." Luke closed his eyes, remembering how it felt.

When he opened his eyes, the largely empty industrial district was coming up fast ahead, and another speeder had fallen in behind them. Luke stood up, looking to see if it was Kazah, but it was only Venny, in the speeder that should have been retired.

"Venny lives in the apartment next door to me," Scarp explained. "He's always talking about his amazing jumps, but I've never actually seen him do one."

"He's a nerfherder," Pam said. "I'm surprised his speeder doesn't sink with all the ego he carries around."

Personally, Luke felt the same about Kazah, but he resisted the urge to say it.

"Where do you go to school?" Luke asked Scarp.

"School! I wish I was so lucky," he said. "Private tutor."

"You're lucky not to go to our school," Pam said, shortly.

"At least you get to see something outside the four walls of an apartment," Scarp said. "Where are you going, Pam? Didn't he say to meet behind that row of power couplings?"

Pam swerved to avoid a flaming chimney, and then flew to where Scarp had pointed. Sure enough, there were even more speeders waiting for them at the chosen spot. Luke was beginning to feel a little nervous. These people had obviously come when they'd heard about his reputation. What if he couldn't live up to it?

Scarp suggested they start with some warm up jumps, while waiting for Kazah to arrive. It was typical that he was late for the meeting he'd set up in the first place.

Luke found one meter jumps almost too easy, even at higher speeds. Pam and Scarp kept swapping who was in the driver's seat, so they could take turns at jumping, but no one asked Luke to take the controls. There were a few spectators watching by the time they'd shifted to create a two meter gap between the speeders.

After jumping two meters down to Venny's speeder, and then back to Pam's, Luke was pleased to see he was starting to get better at landing. He'd found more than a few bruises in the shower that morning from bad landings he'd made yesterday.

"Okay," Luke said to Pam. "I'm ready for three meters."

"This is where I stay here," Scarp said, climbing into the passenger seat.

Luke shifted over to the edge, while Pam held up three fingers to Venny down below. They cruised along at a moderate speed, and then shifted further apart. Luke stared down at the speeder below, judging the distance. All he needed to do was concentrate, focus and, most of all, ignore the fear.

For a few seconds, he felt the pure joy of flying through the air. Then he slammed into the seats in Venny's speeder, crushing his arm under his body in the process. He'd already bruised that arm yesterday.

_So much for getting better at landings_, Luke thought, sitting up and rubbing his arm.

Another speeder cruised overhead, casting a shadow on Luke's face. He looked up and recognized Kazah's speeder. As Luke watched, Kazah left his speeder on autopilot, and then jumped down into Pam's. Pam looped around to catch up with Kazah's speeder, and Kazah did a running jump to get back in the pilot's seat.

Venny whistled. "That was three meters," he said.

"I've already done three meters," Luke insisted. "Can you go out to four? Fly above Pam."

Venny obliged. Halfway through the climb, the engine spluttered and almost stalled, obviously straining with the acceleration.

"Where did you get this speeder?" Luke asked. "A scrapyard?"

"It's my mother's," Venny explained. "I keep telling her to buy a new one." He leaned over and yelled down to Pam. "Okay, Crazy here is going to try four meters."

Luke glanced over to see Kazah's reaction, but he appeared to be talking on a comlink. It was probably just a show of acting disinterested, because he didn't want everyone to see how jealous he was.

"Let's go," Luke said, stepping onto the side.

Once again, Luke felt everything slow down as he stared at his destination below. His mind automatically compensated for the increase in distance. He concentrated on his landing this time, making sure he hit the seat square in the middle. The hard impact caused him to slip down between the seats, but other than that, it was a perfect record-breaking jump.

The onlookers all cheered loudly. Luke smiled for a moment, but it soon faded. That hadn't been as thrilling as he expected it to be. He couldn't even find much pleasure in beating Kazah's record. He'd been thrilled about this yesterday, but he had to admit, it was already wearing thin.

Venny suddenly zoomed overhead, his speeder still spluttering.

"Traffic patrol!" he yelled. "Go!"

Pam instantly hit the accelerator and veered right, sending Luke and Scarp slamming into the sides of the speeder. "Where?!" she yelled.

Luke struggled back into his seat, and looked behind. Three white patrol speeders were fast approaching from the west.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

"Go there!" Luke yelled, pointing into a nearby trench between two factories.

Pam started to fly in that direction, but then one of the other jumpers cut in front, obviously having the same idea. Pam was forced to turn. She curved towards another nearby tunnel, but the loss of speed had made them fall behind the others. One of the patrol vehicles had broken away from the group, heading straight for them.

"Don't worry," Pam said. "We can outrun them."

They shot past Venny's speeder, which was choking so much it sounded like it had finally reached the end of its tether. Luke expected the pursuing patrol vehicle to stop and pick up Venny, but it swept past him and stayed on them tight.

Pam was forced to slow as they sped towards a field of smoking chimneys. She attempted to weave around them, but wasn't entirely successful. Luke was itching to take the controls. Pam just didn't have the reflexes to fly like this at high speed.

"Are they falling behind?" Pam asked.

Luke glanced over his shoulder. "No. I think they're gaining."

Pam swore loudly and quickly tried to swerve around another chimney. Ten seconds later, there was a sudden yell from underneath them.

"Pam! Down here!"

Luke glanced over the side and saw Kazah had appeared. A moment later, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Pam jammed on the brake and then vaulted over the side. Within two seconds, Kazah was speeding away with Pam in his passenger seat.

Luke hastily tried to crawl over into the pilot's seat, but it was too late. A disabling ion pulse slammed into the back end of the speeder, causing a blue glow to run the length of the body, shorting out the controls in a shower of sparks. They were sitting dead in the sky. The patrol craft was less than a minute away.

Luke glanced to the side and noticed Scarp was slumped over, holding his hand across his left temple.

"Scarp?" he reached out a hand to shake him. "What's wrong?"

"I'm all right," he said. "Just hit my head on the dash when she braked. Stupid!"

"How bad is it?" Luke asked, concerned. Scarp didn't answer.

Luke reached up to pull Scarp's bloodied hand away. The gash was about a centimetre long, just above his eyebrow. Fortunately, it was only shallow.

"Keep applying pressure," Luke said, recalling his first aid training on Tatooine.

Behind him, he heard the patrol speeder pull up. He turned around and came face to barrel with a blaster.

"Stand up! Hands up!"

Luke did as requested. The owner of the blaster looked a little like a stormtrooper but with much less armor, and the helmet was a different style. There were two troopers in the speeder. The other one was piloting.

"He's hurt," Luke said, gesturing over his shoulder with his head.

"Keep your hands where I can see them!" The trooper gestured to the back seat of the patrol speeder with the blaster. "Move!"

Luke carefully stepped over the side of the speeder. Scarp followed him, still holding his head. The trooper didn't lower his blaster but unhooked some kind of scanning device from his belt. He used his other hand to run the scanning beam over Luke and Scarp and then passed the device to the pilot.

"They are not carrying weapons, sir."

"Good," the pilot replied. "You have them secured. Now tell them why they are under arrest."

The trooper obliged. "You're under arrest for suspected flying without a license, resisting arrest, failing to stop for an officer of the law, engaging in the illegal sport of traffic diving, and flying a speeder with a broken tail light!"

"Look, he's bleeding," Luke said, annoyed. "Don't you have a first aid kit? And for your information, we weren't flying, we didn't resist arrest, and it isn't even our speeder!"

"Then you admit you were traffic diving," the pilot said, turning around to regard them.

"Haven't you got better things to arrest people for?" Luke asked.

"Like asking stupid questions?"

Luke decided he would likely talk himself and Scarp into a deeper mess if he kept opening his mouth. He sighed, looking away.

"Give the injured one the first aid kit," the pilot said to the other trooper. "But don't take your eyes or blaster off them."

The pilot then pulled away and did a u-turn. Luke glanced back at Pam's speeder as they headed towards the Imperial City center. Unless Pam came back for it, it would be stolen by someone with an eye for a good speeder.

The trooper tossed a first aid kit into the back seat. Luke was beginning to suspect, by the way the pilot spoke to him, that it was his first day on the job.

Luke opened the kit and found a bacta seal. Scarp accepted it gratefully. After he'd peeled it open and sealed it over his cut, he did his best to clean his hand with a piece of tissue.

"My father is going to kill me," he said miserably.

The words brought home to Luke how bad their situation was. These troopers would take them back to a prison center. They'd probably be thrown in a jail cell.

Or worse, they'd find out who he was and call his father.

Luke considered it for a moment and then remembered his father would have left Coruscant by now. And he wasn't due back for at least a week. Perhaps there was still a chance to find a way out of this.

"Listen," he said, leaning forward to talk to the troopers. "I know you guys are probably busy. Do you really want to have to go to all the trouble of filing reports just because we were having a little fun? We're sorry. We won't do it again."

"Kid," the pilot said, not looking back, "my whole purpose in life is to keep young idiots like yourself out of my airways before you hurt yourselves, or worse, someone else."

Luke shared a look with Scarp. The humble apology idea wasn't going to work.

"Maybe we could try offering them something?" Scarp whispered.

"Do you have any credits?" Luke asked.

Scarp shook his head.

"I don't either."

In any case, Luke didn't know if he could offer a convincing bribe, even if he had the credits to back it up. Despite three years living on Coruscant, his farmboy roots still came back to haunt him, as much as he didn't like to admit it.

Their destination turned out to be familiar to Luke. He had come to this hexagonal-shaped building the other day, when he'd tried to obtain his airspeeder license. The pilot flew the speeder into one of several docking bays and parked beside a row of identical speeders. Luke looked around, noting that every door was guarded by droids and required key card access. There was little chance of escape.

Both troopers stepped out of the speeder and moved to flank Luke and Scarp as they climbed out beside them. Luke raised his arms while the trooper emptied the contents of his pockets into a clear bag. He was carrying his ID, comlink, spare wire, a multi-tool, a snack bar, and some loose credits.

"Where are we going?" Luke asked, as they were guided towards the elevators.

Luke hadn't been expecting an answer, but the pilot trooper provided one. "Processing center."

"What's going to happen to us?" Scarp asked.

This time, there was no answer.

"Can I see a lawyer?" Scarp asked, sounding scared.

The pilot trooper chuckled through his helmet. "They always know their rights," he said to the other. He then stopped beside a storage locker and reached up to remove his helmet. He was in his thirties and had short black hair in a military-style cut. The other trooper kept his blaster on them while the pilot removed his armor, revealing a blue uniform with the Coruscant traffic department logo printed on the sides of the sleeves. His name tag said 'Sergeant Foil'.

They were then moved forward, and Luke and Scarp entered the elevator first, with the troopers standing on either side of them. After a short ride, they stepped out into a long glass-walled corridor. As they walked forward, Luke looked down through the glass and saw the licensing office on the floor below. As usual, there were long queues of people waiting to be serviced.

At the end of the corridor, they entered a large circular area with a number of droids speaking to people on monitors. They were led past this and into a room that had no furniture, apart from a long table with a computer terminal, and a row of chairs.

Venny was already in the room, sitting down with another trooper standing over him. His eyes grew wider at the sight of Scarp and Luke.

"Who else did they get?"

"Just us, I think," Luke said, as he was pushed down into a seat. There was a large mirror on the opposite wall. Luke guessed it was a one way window.

The trainee trooper then removed his helmet and left it on the table. Luke didn't think he was a clone, but he did look a little like some of the stormtroopers he'd seen without their helmet. Stormtroopers who didn't make the grade were often diverted into other government jobs, but the sense Luke had of the man's mind didn't seem like a trained soldier.

"Officer Rhy," the sergeant said, from where he'd been waiting by the door. "Create the arrest reports and then escort them to my office when you're done."

"Yes, sir."

He left them alone, and Officer Rhy sat down at the computer terminal. He pointed at Scarp.

"State your name, age and address."

Scarp looked blank for a moment and then spoke nervously. "Tyscarp Nyons, fourteen standard years. Apartment 4136, Building 505-343-05, Coordinates 59N, 88W."

This was entered into the computer and then the trooper looked expectantly at Luke.

"Um, Luke Skywalker, fifteen standard," Luke said.

"Address?"

Luke thought for a moment. He really had no idea. "What's the address of the Imperial Palace?"

Venny and Scarp looked at him like he was crazy.

"Cut the humor, kid." Rhy was staring at the monitor. "Your identity bioscan gives an incomplete record. Whoever did this didn't even fill in your name. Typical lazy nerfs at Imperial Family Services."

Luke stared in surprise. He hadn't heard that name in a while. "That record is really out of date," he said, quickly. "I'm not an orphan."

"Sure." The trooper looked at Venny. "Next."

"Vennerly Wiringside, seventeen standard. My address is the same as Scarp's, but Apartment 4137. Will you hurry up and call my parents, please? I'm not going to sit here all night."

"No," Scarp said, horrified. "Don't call anyone! I'd rather spend the night in prison."

"The sergeant is taking care of that," Rhy said. "Now, quiet. I need to finish this report." He looked up at the other trooper. "Mir, how do you fix that linked report error again?"

"Don't worry about that. It only matters if there are related arrests."

Luke put his elbows on the table and ran his fingers through his hair, wondering what he should do. What if they called someone from Family Services and they sent a stormtrooper to take him to their holding center? He'd take his father over that a hundred times over. Maybe he should ask if he could make a call. His father might be in the far reaches of space, but Lev would be able to do something.

His musing was interrupted when Scarp suddenly pushed back his chair and made a run for the door. Luke expected it to be locked, but it opened to Scarp's touch. Rhy swore in some language Luke had never heard and then tore after him. Unfortunately, the second trooper, Mir, was smart enough to stay behind.

A few minutes later, Rhy returned, holding Scarp by the forearm. He pushed him back towards his chair.

"Now stay there, or I'll blast you."

"You forgot to lock the door," Mir observed.

"Don't tell the sergeant. No harm done."

Scarp was looking pale. Luke wondered if perhaps the bump to his head had done more damage than he thought. It was obvious that even if they made it out of this room, they'd have a very hard time finding their way to the hangar bay.

When Rhy finally finished the report, he gestured with his blaster that it was time to move on. They were led a short distance to the sergeant's office, which was a more pleasant room than the one they'd just left. Their confiscated belongings were lying on a nearby table. The sergeant was sitting behind his desk, speaking via computer terminal with someone.

"No, don't put me on hold! I gave you the serial number. That should be all you need to find the record. No, I said don't - ah!"

He pushed a button to cut the call and then gave Luke an annoyed look.

"I'd have let you escape had I known you were Family Services. Not really their fault, I suppose … they are severely under funded."

"I'm not Family Services!" Luke protested. "That was more than three years ago. The record is out of date."

"He refused to give me his true address, sir," Rhy explained.

"Then someone is going to be enjoying a night in the detention center, won't he?"

"I didn't - ah, just let me use the comm," Luke suggested. "I'll find someone to come and pick me up."

"Not just someone," the sergeant said. "Your legal guardian. They are going to be responsible for paying the fine."

"How about a representative of my legal guardian?" Luke suggested. "My father is very busy. Besides, he's not on Coruscant right now."

"Very well." The sergeant held out a gloved hand. "What's the frequency?"

"I can call -"

"No, how about I call?"

Luke sighed. "The frequency is stored in my comlink - the one you took from me. It's under the name Lev."

"All right. Take a seat. Rhy - bring me his comlink."

Rhy moved over to the table and started shifting the items aside, looking for Luke's comlink. Venny and Scarp had already sat down on a couch that lined one of the walls. Mir stood in front of them, keeping his blaster trained on Scarp. Luke hovered about for a moment and then finally took a seat between them. He didn't really want to hear how Lev was going to react when he heard what he was about to hear, but he didn't have much of a choice.

Shortly after Rhy gave the sergeant the comlink, the room was filled with the sound of a busy signal. The sergeant didn't bother to leave a message.

"We'll try again later. Meanwhile, I've got something for you to look at while we wait for the rest of your parents to arrive."

Scarp buried his head in his hands at the words. Luke was starting to wonder just what he was worried about. Perhaps he should tell Scarp he was lucky not to have a Sith Lord for a father.

The sergeant passed a holoprojector to Mir, who passed it on to Luke. Luke switched it on out of curiosity. He immediately wished he hadn't. The image showed a human body that had hit the ground at such speed, it was spread out like a runny pancake.

"That's what happens to traffic divers," Rhy helpfully supplied.

"Will you look at that!" Venny said, morbidly impressed. He took the projector from Luke and pressed a button to move on to the next image. It showed a Twi'lek girl who had fallen on top of a flagpole and was skewered through the torso.

Luke looked away, feeling sick.

"Luke, you've got to see this one!"

Luke glanced back, despite himself. It was impossible to say what species that particular corpse was.

"Can I make a copy of this to show my friends?" Venny asked. "Why don't you guys come around the schools and do a public service presentation on the dangers of traffic diving? I bet you've got hundreds of great pictures."

"It's not so great when it's your body we have to cut down off a flagpole, kid," Mir said.

Venny wasn't listening or else he chose to ignore the remark. He was rotating the projector so he could look at the holos from different angles.

Luke was relieved when there was a knock on the door. A droid entered first, followed by a couple decked out in the latest Coruscant fashions.

"Mr and Mrs Wiringside, sir," the droid said to the sergeant.

"Oh, my poor baby!" Venny's mother rushed to her son, arms outstretched. Venny quickly stood up and tried to back away, but he wasn't fast enough to avoid the embrace. "Are you all right, honey? We came as fast as we could!"

"Mom! Stop it, I'm fine!" Her enthusiasm caused him to drop the holoprojector. Luke hoped it was broken.

His father was talking to the sergeant. He'd already pulled out a credit tab.

"Thank you for keeping him safe. How much is the fine? I'll throw in something extra for you and your men if you'll wipe this unfortunate incident from your records. Please, name your price."

"Mr Wiringside," the sergeant said, standing up, "despite what you've heard at the high society club, we do not accept bribes. Maybe you should consider what you are teaching your son when you try and buy your way out of justice. Here is the invoice for the fine. You can pay it at the front desk or via the HoloNet. Collect his belongings on the way out."

The man pocketed the credit tab. "Very well," he replied in a frosty tone. "You've made your position clear. You'll be hearing from my lawyers very shortly."

He gestured for his wife and Venny to move out.

"This was all your fault, Mom," Venny was saying, as he picked up his belongings from the table. "I told you to get a new speeder! Stupid thing wasn't fast enough to get away from these stupid bucketheads."

"I'm sorry, honey," she said, wrapping her arm around him as they left the room. "I'll buy a new one, I promise."

As soon as the doors slid closed, Rhy began sniggering through his helmet.

"You'll be hearing from my lawyers very shortly," he repeated, imitating the man's tone. "Stars. Are they all like that?"

"Not all of them," the sergeant said. He wasn't amused.

"Is this your first day on the job?" Luke asked Rhy.

"I'm in my final week of training," he explained. "This is my first night shift with the traffic patrol."

"Let's try that comlink frequency again, shall we?" the sergeant suggested.

_Lev_, Luke thought, _wherever you are, please answer!_

This time, it was answered on the first beep, much to Luke's relief. He clearly heard Lev's voice from the sergeant's computer.

"Lieutenant Dorany here."

"Greetings," the sergeant said. "Sergeant Foil, Imperial City Traffic Control. Is this the residence of Luke Skywalker?"

There was a second of silence. Luke could only imagine Lev's expression.

"What's happened? Stars, is he all right?"

"He has been arrested for engaging in the illegal sport of traffic diving."

Luke rubbed his forehead. Why did he have to make it sound so bad?

"I require his legal guardian, or someone authorized to act on behalf of his legal guardian, to come down to the Imperial City traffic control center and collect him."

"Someone will be there as soon as possible!" Lev said. "Please, keep him safe until then."

"When the designated person arrives, tell them to ask to see Sergeant Foil at the front desk."

"Very well."

The call was ended. Scarp had looked up during the conversation.

"Your father is in the military too?" he asked Luke.

"Not really," Luke said, "but he works with the military a lot."

"Sounds like another doter," Mir suggested.

Luke gave a hollow laugh. "I am possibly the least spoiled son in Imperial City."

"No," Scarp said, "that would be me."

When Scarp's father arrived, a short time later, Luke had to concede that Scarp was right. Scarp's father wasn't wearing his uniform, but everything about his posture and his speech gave the impression of an army officer. He ignored Scarp when he entered and spoke to the sergeant.

"I am sorry you've had to waste your time dealing with my worthless excuse for a son," he said coldly. "I will ensure you never have to do so again."

He then turned to Scarp, who was hunched up on the couch like he wanted to disappear between the cushions.

"Come here and apologise to the sergeant! Now!"

Scarp stood up and walked over with his head bowed.

"I'm sorry, sir," he mumbled.

His father then raised his hand and slapped his son hard across the face. Luke jumped up in shock.

"Leave him alone!" Luke shouted. "He's injured!"

Rhy hastily moved to restrain Luke by the arms, but Scarp's father merely rolled his eyes. "More of this street scum you call friends, I suppose?"

Scarp didn't answer, so his father reached out and shook him roughly. "Look at me!"

"Sir," the sergeant interrupted, "there is a fine associated with traffic diving. Here are the details. Please collect your son's belongings from the table at the back before leaving."

Scarp's father accepted the datapad and then pushed Scarp roughly towards the door. Before leaving, Scarp glanced back at Luke and gave him a small smile. Luke tried to return it, but it was too late, he was already gone.

"You get that type from time to time as well," the sergeant said, matter-of-factly.

The troopers were silent. Luke couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so miserable.

* * *

Vader was almost ready to consider cloning himself, so he could be in two places at once. He wanted to be at Reeni Core. He needed to be there - the lives of thousands of troops depended on it.

Instead, the Emperor had ordered him to wait. "Sometimes you have to accept momentary losses to win the larger battle," he had said. The best strategic minds in the Empire had then argued about the best course of action for hours. Apparently, so his master claimed, his patience was going to pay off. Vader was still waiting for it to do so.

Now, finally, he had his clearance to leave. And they were going to do what his instincts had suggested in the first place. Leave for Reeni Core as soon as possible, which as much firepower as possible.

As he travelled down to the hangar bay, his comlink beeped on the private frequency. That meant it was either Luke or the Emperor. Considering his son's mood over the last few days, he wasn't surprised to see the image of his master light up the projector.

"Lord Vader. Are you on your way to the flagship?"

"Yes, my master. Order will soon be restored to Reeni Core."

"Good hunting, my friend. May the Dark Side bend to your will."

"And to yours, Master."

He ended the call and used his last moments of quiet to feel the Force flowing around him. It had been too long since he'd last used his skills for the good of the galaxy.

When he left the elevator, he found a P.A. was waiting at the bottom of the boarding ramp. His expression was one Vader knew very well. He had news, and Vader wasn't going to like it.

"What is it?" Vader asked, coming to a halt beside him. Whatever it was, the fleet was still going to Reeni Core immediately, and he would be on the flagship. The strategists could have discussion groups all they wanted. He was leaving now, no matter what.

"Sir, I just received a call from Sergeant Foil, Imperial City Traffic Control. Luke is being held at their nearby base. Apparently, he's been arrested for traffic diving."

"He _what_?" Vader took a moment to breathe, but it didn't help. "What in the stars is traffic diving?"

"I will find out for you, sir. May I volunteer to go and collect him?"

Vader stared up the shuttle ramp. The future of the Empire rested on his being in about ten places at once right now. The fate of millions of lives hung in the balance. Of course Luke would choose this moment to get himself arrested.

He let out a weary breath, knowing that he couldn't leave without first seeing to his son. Distraction on the battle field was often fatal.

"I will go and deal with my offspring," he said, pointing at the lieutenant. "Tell the fleet to depart without me. I will join them as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

The trooper named Mir had left now, leaving only Rhy and the sergeant in the room. The sergeant was working on something on his computer, while Rhy had begun looking through the gruesome pictures on the holoprojector.

Luke held his stomach, feeling sick. He tried not to think about what could be happening to Scarp, but it wouldn't leave his mind.

The silence was finally interrupted when the sergeant's holocom beeped.

"Sergeant Foil here," he said, as the image lit up with a trooper.

He was answered in a tone that bordered on sheer panic. "Sir! _Lord Vader_ has just arrived at the visitor's landing pad! He said he is here to see you! What should we do, sir?"

"Oh, stars," Luke said, burying his head in his hands. He should have seen this coming, judging by how the rest of the night had gone.

"Lord _who_?"

"Lord _Vader_! He's the Emperor's -"

"I know who Lord Vader is!" The sergeant was peering at the trooper's image like he thought this might be a practical joke. "What in the galaxy is he doing here?"

"I don't know, sir! But I thought I should warn you that he's on his way up now!"

"He's come for me," Luke said, looking up again.

The sergeant tossed the comlink away. It bounced on his desk and fell over the side. "For you?"

"He's my father," Luke supplied.

"Your _what_? By the Force! You didn't think to mention this earlier?"

"Well, I did try and -" he glanced at Rhy, who was waving his hands in a 'no' gesture.

"Never mind that now," the sergeant said, standing up. "We didn't mistreat you. Right? We're in agreement? Oh, stars. He'll kill us!"

"Calm down," Luke said. "He'll be angry with me, not you."

"This is one heck of a first night on traffic patrol," Rhy said, sounding excited.

He was followed by a knock at the door.

"Quiet!" the sergeant said, pointing at him. He walked around to stand in front of his desk. "Don't you say one word! I'll do any talking that is required!"

Luke looked up as a droid entered, followed closely by his father, who barely cleared the top of the door. Luke felt him do a quick assessment of his physical condition through their mental link. He didn't bother to resist.

"Sergeant Foil, Lord Vader is here to see you," the droid said, sounding almost bored.

"Thank you, um, 31T," the sergeant said. The droid immediately reversed, and the door closed behind it. His father folded his arms, and gave Luke a look that would have melted ice. It was funny how he could glare like that through a mask. Luke tried to meet his gaze for a moment but then gave up and looked aside.

Despite his offer to do the talking, the sergeant seemed momentarily stumped by his father's presence. After a few awkward seconds, he found his voice.

"Lord Vader, I am sorry you were inconvenienced like this. Your son is free to leave immediately."

"Sergeant," his father said, not looking away from Luke, "I am unclear as to why he was arrested. Explain."

"Oh, he wasn't _arrested_," the sergeant said. "That was just a misunderstanding, sir."

"I was told it was something called traffic diving."

"I'll explain on the way home," Luke said, hastily standing up. The less time his father spent talking with the sergeant, the better.

"With spin that would put the Rebel's public relations team to shame, I'm sure," his father said, waving a gloved finger in his direction. "I would rather hear the truth before listening to your _pitiful_ excuses."

"It doesn't involve any diving!"

"Does it involve traffic?"

"No," Luke said. "Just two speeders. No traffic, no diving. It's more like stepping between two speeders."

"Jumping," Rhy unhelpfully supplied.

"All right, jumping," Luke said, giving Rhy an annoyed look.

"While they are moving?"

"No! Well, sometimes perhaps."

"And how far apart are these two moving speeders," his father asked, "while you are jumping between them?"

"Really close," Luke said. "Right next to each other. Next to, and a meter or so underneath."

His father's gaze wandered for a moment, and then he pointed at the arm of the couch. "What is that?"

Luke glanced over and was horrified to see the trooper had left the gruesome holo slideshow switched on and lying around for anyone to see. It was showing the poor person who had been skewered on a flagpole. He quickly moved to turn it off.

"Nothing," he said.

His father was silent for a moment, and Luke knew he was under no delusion that it was merely nothing. Finally, he turned to the sergeant.

"Sergeant, you have my gratitude. It is clear to me that my son very likely owes you his life. Keep up the good work."

"Thank you, sir," the sergeant said.

His father waved a hand at Luke to indicate he should follow and then turned to leave.

"Wait a moment," Luke said. His father stopped in the doorway, and Luke turned to the sergeant. "Isn't there a fine?"

"Under the circumstances, we won't worry about that," the sergeant said quickly.

"What kind of message does that send to me?" Luke said, raising an eyebrow. "If your father is powerful, the law doesn't apply to you?"

The sergeant looked from Luke to the doorway for a moment and then relented. "Very well." He shook Luke's hand before handing him the datapad along with his comlink. "Perhaps my earlier assessment of you was … unwarranted. I'll see you out there. Flying safely, I'm sure."

Luke grinned. "I'll try." He glanced back at Rhy. "Good luck with the training."

"Thanks. No more traffic diving, right?"

Luke refrained from saying it was unlikely he'd be allowed outside again, never mind traffic diving. He didn't want to give his father ideas.

"Right," Luke replied. He picked up his belongings and then joined his father outside. He gestured for Luke to walk in front of him as they headed down the corridor. Whenever they passed anyone, they were given plenty of stares, and a very wide berth.

They took a different route from the one Luke had travelled to arrive here and eventually ended up on a deserted landing pad. His father had brought one of his customized speeders, and normally Luke would have been thrilled to ride in it. But he had a strong feeling his father wasn't planning to remain as silent on the ride home as he had on the walk here.

His father walked ahead of him and opened the passenger side door. He looked pointedly at Luke until he moved forward to climb in. The door was shut firmly after him. Luke guessed he'd probably have slammed it if he'd come in a speeder he wouldn't have cared about damaging.

His father walked around the back of the speeder and then climbed into the pilot's seat. Luke reached up to put on the safety belt, but his father made no move to start the engine. There was no sound, apart from the respirator, for at least a minute. Luke finally glanced up, wondering if he should speak. His father was staring fixedly out the front windscreen. Obviously sensing Luke's gaze, he turned his head to look at him. Luke hastily stared back at his feet.

"This is a new low," his father said finally.

There was no humor in his tone.

Luke felt a heavy feeling settle into his stomach. Maybe Ben was right about his suggestion of military school for the next ten years. How could he possibly reply in a way that wouldn't make his father angrier? Apologizing never helped. Maybe he could try changing the subject.

"Weren't you supposed to be leaving Coruscant?" Luke asked quietly.

"Yes. An entire fleet is waiting for my leadership. The fate of thousands of troops hangs in the balance. Yet here I am, sitting here with you. Why is that, Luke?"

Luke sighed. "You could have sent someone else to pick me up."

"And miss your ridiculous explanation? Which I am still waiting for."

"Nothing I say is going to make any difference," Luke said, feeling his own temper start to fray.

"How long has this traffic diving been going on?"

"Just today. And yesterday."

"Is this why you tried to obtain a speeder license?"

"I've been waiting my whole life to get my speeder license!" Luke said, unable to believe his father could be so oblivious. "You told me I had to wait until I was legally allowed. Now that I am fifteen, you tell me I have to wait another year! You always go back on your word."

"Ah. So this was your way of expressing your dissatisfaction with my refusal to let you fly a speeder."

Luke was beginning to see he would have to connect the dots very slowly if he was going to get anywhere.

"If it was that, I would have been arrested for flying without a license," Luke said. "Which I easily could have! Any time you're not here, I could have taken one of your speeders and gone for a joyride. But I don't, because I'm mature enough to respect your wishes. You never notice the things I don't do!"

When his father replied, after several seconds of silence, he sounded incredulous. "May I remind you, seeing as you have obviously forgotten, that I just had to pick you up after you were _arrested_ for jumping out of _moving_ speeders?"

"I won't do it again," Luke tried.

"Of course you won't do it again," his father said in a dangerous tone, "because if you ever again try something so dangerous, so reckless, so _stupid_ on a universal scale, I will have you lobotomised, because clearly your brain will be malfunctioning."

"Lobotomised?"

His father was squeezing his fingers around the steering controls. "I cannot think of anything which is a better example of sheer idiocy. Are you trying to get yourself killed? Do you want to end up being scraped off the roof of a building?"

"But -"

"Do you even have a brain in that head of yours? Or do you merely have a microchip that outputs instructions on how to endanger your life?"

"Didn't you say there was a planet waiting for you somewhere?" Luke asked. He could be here all night at this rate.

His father ignored the comment, but he did start the speeder engine.

"I suppose you think you are immortal," he continued. "That nothing bad will ever happen to you." He put the speeder in top gear and accelerated quickly towards the nearest traffic lane. "Where did you learn these reckless ways?"

"Look, it was just a bit of fun," Luke said, deciding he had to at least try and defend himself. "Life gets so boring! You don't understand. You spent your teenage years flying around the galaxy having adventures."

His father didn't reply. Luke glanced at him, wondering if he had actually made him stop and think.

"Can you honestly say you never jumped out of a moving speeder?" Luke asked.

"That is completely beside the point," his father said quickly. "We are talking about you." He paused for a moment. "I had to do many things in the line of duty. I never indulged in mindless thrill seeking."

His father turned out of the traffic lane and accelerated down towards their home. Luke held on to the sides of the seat as the speeder pulled up hard to enter the hangar bay.

When his father spoke again, he sounded slightly less harsh. "Yes, I was like you once. I thought the galaxy was always on my side. Injury and death were things that happened to other people, not to me."

Luke considered pointing out that his father wasn't actually dead yet, but it probably wouldn't go down very well.

His father glanced at him as he set the speeder down. "I will do my utmost to ensure you never have to learn the hard way, as I did. If that means you have to live a supposedly boring life, then so be it. Despite what you may believe, no one has ever died from boredom."

_Maybe I'll be the first_, Luke thought. He moved to collect his belongings from down the side of his seat and found the datapad had slid over under the pilot's side, probably due to his father's excessive use of the throttle.

"Can you get the datapad for me, please?" Luke asked.

His father used the Force to retrieve it, floating it until it came within Luke's reach.

"Traffic fines, before you have even obtained a license," he said. "A good start to your flying career."

"What flying career would that be?" Luke asked.

"This is the wrong time to be trying my patience, Luke. Go to your room. I need to speak with someone, then I will summon you."

"Why?" Luke wondered what else his father could possibly have to say.

"You will find out shortly."

"Oh stars," Luke said, having a horrible premonition. "Look, I know you're upset. Yes, traffic diving was stupid, I admit it. Please, no military school."

"Guess again."

Luke thought for a moment. "You're not going to resort to violence, are you?"

"Don't tempt me." His father moved to step out of the speeder. "I will see you soon. Leave that fine with one of my assistants on your way up."

"I'll pay it myself," Luke protested, also stepping out onto the hangar bay floor.

"Unless you are planning to get a job, I doubt you can afford it."

Luke studied the datapad and saw that his father was right. When he looked up again, he found his father had gone. He was certainly in a hurry, whatever he was doing. It seemed he hadn't been exaggerating when he said there was an entire fleet waiting for him. Luke groaned and then rested his head against the speeder for a few moments. Why had he ever spoken to Pam in the first place? That's where this had all started.

Eventually, Luke started to walk towards the elevators, recalling his father had told him to go to his room. Now wasn't the time to wind him up any further. He soon stopped when he saw Lev was waiting beside a nearby elevator hub. No amount of clipboards and comlinks would fool Luke. He was waiting for him.

Luke sighed, knowing this was inevitable.

"Please don't say anything," Luke said, when he was within conversation distance. "I've just spent the entire speeder ride listening to my father tell me how stupid I am."

"I was only going to ask if you were all right," Lev said.

"Oh. Sorry." Luke ran his fingers through his hair, remembering how worried Lev had sounded on the comlink. "Listen, thanks for taking the call from the traffic department. My security record still said I was a ward of Imperial Family Services! I had to convince them to call you instead."

"Anytime," Lev said. "I will have that record updated tonight."

"Thanks," Luke said. "My father also told me to give you this." Luke handed him the datapad. "I wanted to pay it myself, but it's a pretty big fine."

Lev chuckled, reading over the invoice. "That's actually small by Coruscant standards. I had a parking ticket once. Took me a month to pay it off. I guess the Empire has to fund those Star Destroyers somehow." He was silent for a few seconds and then said, "That last remark was off the record, by the way."

"Sure," Luke said, smiling. His smile soon faded when he heard his comlink beeping. He picked it up, and it glowed with an image of his father.

"Luke. I will see you in the conference room. Hurry up."

"I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying," Luke sighed.

"How upset is he?" Lev asked, as Luke cut the call.

"Very," Luke said in a weary tone. He reached out to push a button to summon an elevator.

"Understandably."

Luke glanced at Lev in disbelief.

"Honestly, Luke, traffic diving," Lev said, his tone suddenly taking on a parental quality. "What were you thinking?"

"I thought you were only going to ask if I was all right!" Luke protested.

"It's a fair question, Luke. I've heard of some stupid sports in my time, but that trumps them all."

Fortunately, the elevator arrived at that point, allowing Luke to escape.

"Goodnight," Luke said, stepping in.

"Good luck," Lev called, as the doors slid closed.

* * *

Luke didn't know exactly what he was expecting when he entered the conference room, but it wasn't an alien who resembled a cross between a skeleton and a pet lizard he'd once owned. He, or maybe she, was dressed mostly in black and standing on the other side of the table. He appeared very relaxed for someone in the same room as his father.

His father motioned him to move further into the room. Luke took one step forward, trying not to stare at the unusual guest.

"Luke. This is Special Agent Aviry, a member of the intelligence team."

Luke nodded. "Hi."

"From now on, when you leave this building, he will be accompanying you. You will leave only for essential purposes, such as school. I expect you to show him the same respect you would show me." He paused. "Or perhaps I should say the respect you _should_ show me."

Luke stared blankly. "What? Accompany me? What does that mean?"

"This is the only way I can ensure you stay out of trouble."

"You mean ... a babysitter?"

"Yes."

"You mean going to classes with me and everything?"

"Yes."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. Now, unless you have any intelligent questions, I must depart. Reeni Core has waited long enough."

His father began to walk past him, towards the door.

"Wait!" Luke said, stepping in front of his father. "Can't we talk about this?"

His father stopped and stared down at him with an unreadable gaze. After a few seconds of silence, he said, "Proceed."

"I don't need a babysitter," Luke said. He looked at the carpet, hoping he appeared contrite. "I'll behave."

"Is that an attempt at humor, Son, or do you seriously expect me to believe that?"

There was the sound of sniggering from the other side of the table. It was hastily turned into a cough.

"Can we have some privacy?" Luke asked, annoyed.

"Very well." His father turned to his guest. "You are dismissed, Agent Aviry. Remember what we discussed."

"Yes, sir."

Luke stared expectantly until Aviry obliging moved towards the exit. Luke shifted aside to give him room to leave. Once they were alone, he looked up pleadingly at his father.

"Come on. This is just cruel."

"If by cruel, you mean surprisingly kind, then I agree."

"Everyone at school will laugh at me. I'll go crazy being shadowed by someone all the time!"

"You have only yourself to blame for this."

"How long is this for?" Luke asked desperately.

"We will discuss that when I return from Reeni Core."

"How long will that be?"

"Goodbye, Son," his father said in a tone that left no more room for discussion. He stepped around Luke and left without another word.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

* * *

Luke woke up the next morning with a feeling of dread in his stomach. He struggled at first to remember what it was about. Dentist appointment? Test? Speech day? It wasn't until he stepped out of the shower that it finally occurred. The babysitter.

Right on cue, his doorcom beeped.

Luke reached for a towel and wrapped it around his waist as he walked towards the door. As expected, his new babysitter was waiting on the other side.

"Good morning," he said, sounding far too cheerful.

"I'm still getting ready," Luke said shortly. "Come back -" He paused, noticing his visitor was carrying a bundle of familiar looking clothes.

"Is that my school's uniform?" Luke asked.

"Yes. I had this sent over this morning. I assured your principal that I would blend in."

Luke smirked. "There is no way you are going to blend in, no matter what you wear. What are you … a hundred years old? And I haven't seen any other … um … "

"Clawdites?"

"Yes, I haven't seen any other Clawdites attending my school."

"Allow me to demonstrate. Do you mind if I use your refresher?"

"Go ahead." Luke stepped back to allow him to get past. "But I doubt that uniform will even fit you."

His only response was to disappear into the refresher and close the door. Luke started combing his hair while he waited, using the reflection from his holovid as a mirror. He paused for a moment, taking a closer look at his chin. Beside him, he heard the refresher door open, but he didn't bother to look just yet. This surface wasn't ideal as a mirror, but he was pretty sure he could see some more hairs starting to sprout.

"Well. What do you think?"

Luke glanced over. A second later, he nearly tripped backwards with shock. "What the?"

"Do you like it?"

"How in the galaxy?" Luke hastily reached for a discarded shirt and draped it over his chest. "You're a girl!"

Not just any girl, but a girl who looked like she'd just stepped off the screen of one of the magazines his female classmates liked to read. She had perfectly straight black hair that glinted in the light and grew past her shoulders. Her olivey skin didn't have a single flaw. She actually made their school uniform look good.

"How did you do that?" Luke said, staring in disbelief.

"I'm a Clawdite. It's how we are," she explained. Even her voice now sounded like a young girl.

"You can shape shift?"

"You catch on quick." She smiled, revealing shiny white teeth.

"Do you mind going outside?" Luke said. "I'm trying to get dressed here!"

"You didn't care before."

"You weren't a female human teenager before!"

"You humans and your social conventions," she said, flicking her hair as she left the room.

Luke was careful to lock the door after her. He quickly pulled on his own school uniform and hastily continued combing his hair. By the time he'd finished, his mind had finally begun to comprehend the situation. To say this was unexpected was an understatement.

He opened his bedroom door and found she was leaning against the wall opposite.

"Okay, you can come back in now … uh … what was your name again?"

"Aviry," she said, following Luke back into his room. "Or I suppose you teenagers all have nicknames for each other? How about Avi-X? Or maybe just A?"

"Aviry is fine," Luke said, raising his hands. "But listen, I think you need to change your look. I can't go around school with you."

"Why not?"

"Everyone will think you're my girlfriend!"

"You'd be embarrassed if people thought you were going out with a hot thing like me? Boy, things really have changed since I was at school."

"Maybe if you really _were_ a teenage girl," Luke suggested.

"All right. Tell everyone I'm your cousin if it will make you more comfortable."

"Cousin? We look nothing alike."

"True. Wait a minute." She walked over to the refresher and planted herself in front of the mirror. Luke followed out of curiosity. When she turned back to him, her eyes had changed from a dark brown to near perfect copies of Luke's eyes.

"How about that?"

"Hey!" Luke protested. "Those are _mine_."

"Don't worry, I'll look after them."

"No," Luke said. "This isn't going to work. Please, can't you change into someone else?"

"Well ..." she said, tapping a finger on the side of her face, "there is one look I can do. My favorite, in fact, because people never seem to bother him."

"Go on."

"Zabrak. Midnight black from horns to feet. Purple eyes. About one meter eighty-five."

"Forget it," Luke said quickly.

"All right, Cuzzy," she said. "Are we ready to move out?"

"Do I have a choice?" Luke asked.

She answered by handing him his school pack.

* * *

Aviry was surprised to learn that Luke walked to school most days. He could be chauffeured any time he wished, but considering the walk was less than twenty minutes and secured walkways the entire length, Luke suggested to Aviry that it was the better option than sitting in the morning traffic jams. The real reason, which he kept to himself, was that walking home from school gave him some measure of independence. It would be much harder to spend afternoons at the mall if he had to consider a chauffeur.

Luke didn't say much for the first part of the walk, partly because he was drinking a liquid breakfast through a straw, and mostly because he still didn't know what to make of Aviry. Eventually, his curiosity got the better of him.

"So are you a spy?" he asked, glancing at his companion.

"I'm an intelligence field operative," she said.

"Is that a fancy term for a spy?" Luke asked.

"All right, spy, if you insist. Licensed to kill in fifty-one territories. Licensed to maim in the rest." She glanced at him. "That was a joke," she added in response to his wide-eyed expression.

"So how did you end up babysitting me, anyway?" Luke asked. "Did you annoy my father?"

"To the contrary," she said. "Your father would not leave the wellbeing of his only son to someone who annoyed him. I've just returned from some taxing work on Reeni Core and felt I could use a break. From what I've heard, you are a good-natured and intelligent young human. If a little … adventurous?"

Luke smiled shyly. "Not the word my father uses."

"Yes, he does tend to demand a high standard from people."

_An impossible standard_, Luke thought.

"Which isn't a bad thing," Aviry continued. "I have high standards of myself. It is a sad thing to set your personal standards so low that you are never disappointed. Failure is the best teacher."

"There's no end to him being disappointed in me," Luke said, staring at the ground.

"Nonsense," she said, glancing at him in surprise. "Do you think he would bother to assign me to watch after you if he didn't care for you greatly?"

"This was his twisted idea of punishing me," Luke said. "I really don't need watching after. You'll soon see my life is actually quite boring. Blast - there's Ben!"

His friend was waiting between two fountains up ahead, also drinking a liquid breakfast.

"Who's Ben?" Aviry asked.

"My friend. We didn't part on the best terms yesterday, so I should warn you this might be a little awkward."

"Don't tell him who I really am," Aviry said. "I want to see if I can pass for a teenage girl."

"Fine," Luke said. He was in no rush to tell Ben that he had now obtained a babysitter. His friend's next question would be to ask what he'd done to deserve it, and he wasn't looking forward to his reaction when he told him he'd been out traffic diving again.

Luke soon realized he didn't need to worry about their brief argument yesterday. Aviry was the perfect distraction. Ben was staring at her like he had forgotten how to blink.

"Hi, Ben," Luke said, as they joined him. "This is Aviry." He paused for a moment. "She's my cousin."

"Pleased to meet you, Ben," she said, extending her hand.

Ben shook it, while grinning in a slightly stupid way.

"Luke never told me he had a cousin!" he said, walking beside Aviry. Luke had already moved ahead. "You've got the same eyes. How long are you on Coruscant for?"

"Oh, it might be a while," she said. "I'll wait and see."

"So you're coming to school with us?" Ben asked. "I can't believe Luke didn't mention this before! Maybe I can help show you around."

"Thank you, that would be very kind of you. I bet you know your way around the entire school."

"Yeah," Ben said, grinning.

Luke rolled his eyes.

"Maybe you could come to the arcade with us after school," Ben continued. "They have some really good hologames."

"It's been a long time since I've played one of those. You'll have to teach me how they all work now."

"I'd love to do that!" Ben said.

"Thank you, Ben. Luke is lucky to have such a nice friend."

"No," Luke said, whirling around. "Stop it. Stop it now."

Ben raised his hands. "I was just being friendly!"

"Not you," Luke said.

"What's wrong?" Aviry asked.

"You are practically throwing yourself at him!"

"Luke!" Ben's expression was a mix of surprise and annoyance.

Aviry grinned. "Hardly. Even if I was, isn't that how you teenagers behave?"

"No!" Luke said. "And even if we did, don't do it! It's just wrong."

"Why?"

"Because you're not a teenage girl, that's why."

"I am right now."

"Just don't!" Luke said. He continued walking.

"What's going on?" Ben asked, sounding thoroughly confused. "What do you mean she's not a teenage girl?"

"Um … long story," Luke said.

"You might as well tell him everything," Aviry said. "Now that you've blown my cover."

Luke sighed. "All right." He paused, gathering his courage. "Ben, I have a confession to make. I went traffic diving last night."

"You what? Stars, I knew it!"

"Don't worry about telling my father. He already knows." Luke waved a hand at Aviry. "Meet my new babysitter."

"Your babysitter?" Ben looked Aviry up and down, appearing bewildered. "And this was your father's idea of a punishment? Stars, I wish my father would punish me like this."

"She isn't even a she or a human," Luke explained. "She's a shape shifting Clawdite from the intelligence department."

"A shape shifter? Wow!"

"I'm liking you more and more, Ben," Aviry said.

Ben turned slightly red and looked away. They had reached the elevator hub that would take them to the school at this point, and the amount of passing students was growing by the minute.

"Don't tell anyone else," Luke said. "I want to keep a low profile. If anyone asks, let's just stick to the story that she's my cousin."

"Sure," Ben said. "So what happened last night? How did your father find out?"

Luke didn't feel like reliving it, but he did owe Ben an apology. On the way up to the locker hall, he told him the story of how he'd beat Kazah's record, but then the traffic patrol had arrived. Ben frowned when he described how Pam had abandoned him and Scarp.

"Kazah was probably the one who called the traffic patrol," Ben suggested. "He must have been angry that you beat his record."

"Now that you mention it," Luke said, entering the key code for his locker, "I did see him talking on his comlink right before they arrived. What's our first class again?"

Ben consulted the timetable display in the door of his locker. "History."

"I love history," Aviry said. "That was my best subject at school. What are you studying right now?"

"The early age of spaceflight," Ben supplied. "We have a test."

"What?" Luke looked at Ben in surprise. "What test?"

"I told you yesterday, remember. You mean you haven't studied?"

"I was a little preoccupied, what with being arrested and all. Blast it!"

"Tell Mr Kyde," Ben suggested. "He'll let you sit it tomorrow."

"I can't tell a teacher that I was arrested," Luke said, slamming his locker. "He'll either think I'm lying or spread it around the entire staff. I'll just have to guess my way through. Quick - tell me some facts."

While they walked, Ben proceeded to rattle off everything he'd memorized from their last month of history classes. Luke listened intently, wishing he could just absorb it directly from Ben's mind. He'd have to ask his father sometime if that was possible. It sounded like the kind of thing his father would know. By the time they reached their history classroom, Luke was starting to feel like he might have a small chance.

The classroom was about half full. Luke led the way to his usual seat, at the back and by the window. Ben pulled out a seat next to him.

"Aviry, would you like to sit here?" he asked. "I'll log you in to the computer."

"Thanks, Ben," she said, hanging her backpack on the corner of the chair.

In his panic over the test, Luke had almost forgotten Aviry was there. "The teachers know you're going to be here, right?" Luke asked. The last thing he wanted was having to explain everything dozens of times.

"The principal told me she'd brief everyone at the morning staff meeting," Aviry said. "But maybe you should introduce me to your classmates."

Luke looked up and realized half of them were staring like he'd just arrived with a pet Nexu. The other half were taking quick glimpses and then talking quietly in groups. Luke glanced at Ben, but his friend was too busy logging into Aviry's computer.

He stood up and cleared his throat. "Everyone, this is my cousin. Aviry. She's visiting me for a while."

"Hi," Aviry said. "I'm looking forward to meeting all of you."

Instantly, there was a group of boys at her desk, all lining up to introduce themselves personally. One of them, Greein, took a seat in front of Luke.

"Luke," he said in a quiet tone, while leaning over the top of Luke's monitor, "is she single?"

"No," Luke said quickly. "Her boyfriend is a bounty hunter, so keep your distance."

"Really?" Greein said, raising an eyebrow.

Before Luke could respond, their history teacher entered the room and everyone scattered back to their desks. Aviry shooed away two final stragglers.

Mr Kyde took one glance in Luke's direction and then proceeded as usual.

"Will everyone please stand."

They had to stand and recite an oath of loyalty to the Empire every morning. Luke mumbled the words and used the time to read through more study notes he'd brought up on his monitor. Towards the end, he happened to glance up and found Aviry was standing with her eyes closed and her hand over her heart. Beyond her, he could see Ben staring at her as well. When he became aware of Luke's gaze, he quickly looked in the other direction.

"Now then," the teacher said, when they were finished, "I hope you're all ready for the test."

Luke stared out the window, idly wondering if his father was having a better day than him.

* * *

To make up for the lost time, Vader had taken one of his favorite ships to Reeni Core, a one-man fighter similar in design to the classic Eta-2 Actis. It had a first-class self-contained hyperdrive, powerful shields, numerous weapon modifications, and a solid black paint scheme. Most people would have disliked the thought of sitting in a small ship for several hours, but for Vader it was the most peace and quiet he had enjoyed in weeks.

Artoo Detoo sat in the astromech slot, occasionally supplementing the computer's navigation data with additional information from his scanners. There was no real need for an astromech for the journey to Reeni Core, and once there, he could easily have used one of the newer models on board the star destroyer. But Artoo had never been a droid that enjoyed being on the ground for long stretches of time. Something that Vader could well identify with.

The star destroyer _Storm's Eye_ was the flagship of the Reeni Core campaign. As soon as he emerged from hyperspace, the scopes lit up to indicate he was being scanned. Two fast-moving green dots lit up on the radar, heading quickly for his position. TIE fighters.

He broadcast his identification code and reduced his speed in anticipation of docking. He approached the _Storm's Eye_ from the bow, heading under the nose and along the belly towards the docking bay, with the TIE fighters flanking him on either side. The bright lights of the docking bay soon lit up his ship, and he reduced his speed further to navigate the entrance to the bay. Once inside, he extended the landing gear and reversed the ship into a designated space.

"Stay with the ship," Vader said, as he opened the hatch.

Artoo whistled in agreement.

Two lines of stormtroopers had assembled to greet him and stood a short distance away. The fleet admiral, Admiral Sivia, and the captain of the _Storm's Eye _stood at attention at the front of the line. As Vader approached, the admiral stepped forward to greet him. His voice didn't betray him, but Vader could see the fear in his eyes.

"Lord Vader, welcome to the _Storm's Eye_. We are at full operational status and continue our attempt to blast passage through the mine field." He paused to swallow. "I assure you, we are investing every effort in resolving this setback at the earliest opportunity. Our engineers are working around the clock to develop technology to neutralize this mine field."

"This is not a failure yet, Admiral," Vader said. "Where is Governor Jala?"

The admiral and the captain both appeared surprised at his words. They shared a brief glance, and then the admiral spoke nervously.

"We were told he had been executed, sir."

Vader was surprised enough to be momentarily lost for words. There were very few people who ranked highly enough to authorize such action. And even less who would risk his ire by killing a man known to have his admiration. Surely the Emperor would have mentioned something if he was behind this.

"Executed? Under whose authority?"

A short distance away, an elevator door slid open, attracting their attention.

"Ah, Lord Vader," the new arrival said, walking over to join them."I'm glad you could finally join us. I wasn't expecting you for at least another hour."

"Governor Tarkin," Vader said, wearily. He resisted the urge to add 'I should have known.'

* * *

After struggling through the history test, the morning had gone fairly smoothly. His classmates seemed none the wiser that there was anything unusual about Aviry, despite her obvious enjoyment of being at school. She wasn't the only one. Luke had noticed Ben seemed to be enjoying himself more than usual today.

"This food is fantastic," Aviry said, when they'd all sat down at the usual lunch table. "I haven't eaten this well in months."

"It costs more to attend this school than most people earn in a year," Ben explained. He waved his hand at the other students wandering around. "They expect food like this. They probably eat better at home."

"I don't notice the difference," Luke said. He thought for a moment. "Bantha steak, with the special sauce my aunt used to make. Nothing tastes good compared to that."

The memory caused him more pain that he'd expected. He quickly decided to change the subject, before Ben saw the hurt in his eyes. Aviry was already looking at him oddly. He cleared his throat. "So, Aviry, how long have you been a spy?"

"How long have I been an intelligence field agent, you mean?"

"You don't like the term spy?" Ben asked.

"It has such negative connotations," Aviry replied, biting into a piece of fruit. "People think spies are devious and underhanded."

"But spy sounds more exciting," Ben said.

"Don't believe everything you see on the HoloNet," she said. "It's not all adventure and glamour. If I'd known then what I know now, maybe I wouldn't have chosen this profession. It's not merely a job, but a lifestyle." She appeared wistful for a moment. "Spending this time with you and Luke makes me wonder what kind of parent I would be myself."

"But you must have had some pretty amazing adventures," Ben prompted.

"Have you ever been captured?" Luke asked.

Aviry made a vague noise that could have meant anything. She reached out to pick up one of Ben's viewscreens.

"Do you go undercover?" Ben asked.

She looked up, amusement in her eyes. "You mean like I'm doing right now?"

"Oh, right," Ben said, looking down.

"You must have been undercover in more interesting places than this," Luke said.

Aviry was silent. She was browsing a HoloNet news page.

"Have you ever posed as someone who already existed?" Ben asked. "Like the king or queen of a planet?"

"Give me a few hours," she suggested. "I'm sure I can remember some interesting stories to tell you boys. Stories that aren't highly classified information that I could be executed for divulging."

Luke shared a disappointed look with Ben. His father was similarly resistant when it came to sharing stories of adventure and intrigue.

"Hmm." Aviry frowned. "Reeni Core still hasn't fallen. There must be something serious going on that they're keeping under wraps."

"Didn't you say you were doing this because you wanted a break from work?" Luke asked.

"Yes, you're right," she said, putting down the viewscreen. "Remind me if I start doing that again." She scanned the lunchroom intently. "What do you all do for fun around here?"

"This is pretty much it," Luke said.

"Unless you'd like to do something else," Ben said. "We could go to the library."

She gave Ben a look that said 'are you serious'?

"We could play cards," Luke said. "There's some in my locker."

"Look at you all," she said, resting her chin on her hand. "Young. Healthy. No responsibilities. The galaxy at your fingertips. Yet you sit around, taking refuge in conformity. Hiding from life."

"All right, no cards," Luke said, sharing a bemused look with Ben.

"I do so have responsibilities," Ben said.

"My father tells me I don't take mine seriously," Luke said, "so I must have some somewhere."

Before Aviry could respond, someone tapped a microphone, causing a banging noise over the lunch room comm system. They looked up to find a fourth year student standing in the middle of the tables.

"If I could have everyone's attention, please!" she said. "Auditions for the school choir are starting in ten minutes in the music hall. All years are welcome."

"A school choir?" Aviry said. "I was in my school choir. Is it any good?"

"It suffers from the same problems as the swimming team," Ben said.

"What problems?"

"The auditions mean nothing," Luke explained. "If their parents have influence, which almost all of them do, they can simply call the school and insist that their son and daughter be accepted. Half the members don't even want to be there - it's just that their mother or father has decided they must be a gifted singer."

"That's why I like the dejarik club," Ben said. "No parents dream of their child being a star dejarik player. Especially my father. So we're all genuine players."

"I wish I could say the same of the gymnastics team," Luke said. "I feel like I have to work twice as hard to convince people I'm there on my own merits."

The girl who'd made the announcement was walking past their table on her way out of the lunchroom. Aviry, who was sitting on the edge of the seat, stood up.

"Excuse me," she said, stopping the girl. "Do you mind if I borrow your microphone?"

The girl glanced from Luke to Aviry, and then said, "Sure. Just return it to B-60 when you've finished with it, or he'll blow a circuit."

"Thank you."

"What are you planning to do with that?" Luke asked, nervously.

Aviry responded with a smile that covered most of her face. She then slid out of the seat and began walking to the center of the lunchroom. She was already attracting a fair bit of attention, and she hadn't even said anything yet.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Luke said, twisting a napkin between his fingers.

Ben didn't respond. He was as riveted as everyone else. Whereas people had largely ignored the girl who had announced the choir auditions, people had fallen silent for Aviry.

"Hi everyone!" she said, brightly. "For those who don't know me, I'm Luke's cousin, Aviry." She helped by pointing a finger in Luke's general direction. Luke had to fight the urge to hide under the table.

"You're all looking a tad bit bored today, so I thought I'd brighten things up around here. Here's my offer: I'll sing a song for whoever can shout out the name of a song the loudest."

This was followed by three seconds of silence, and then a group of seniors started shouting out titles to the latest Coruscant chart toppers. They were quickly joined by the others until the noise was deafening.

"Oh, stars," Luke said, burying his head in his hands. This was mortally embarrassing. Why had he ever provoked his father into giving him such a cruel punishment? He looked up again when the shouting died down for a moment.

Aviry was standing in front of a first year boy.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Jipp," the boy said, into the mic.

"You were shouting nice and loud there, Jipp. Can you repeat that?"

"_Hyperspace Girl_!" he obliging shouted into the mic. The students burst into cheers and applause.

"_We met in a dive on an asteroid_," Aviry sang, to even louder applause.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this song is dedicated to Jipp!" she added, jumping up on an empty table. "_She looked like she'd escaped from my dreams! She took the stars right out of my eyes, and left me for blind with her smile of moonshine__!_"

"Go Aviry!" Ben shouted, standing up to get a better view. "Woooo!"

Luke could only stare in disbelief.

Aviry smiled at Ben, and launched into the chorus, complete with some dance moves that were popular about a decade ago.

"_Yeah, she's a hyperspace girl, like no other kind. Her kiss was gravitational! Hyperspace girl! Coruscant, Kamino, you know she wants to take you everywhere in between_!"

"What's this? The principal said she was going to blend in."

Luke looked up at the speaker, and found Mr Kyde, their history teacher, had entered the lunchroom, clearly attracted by the racket.

"I … uh …." Luke said, wondering how in the galaxy he could begin to explain this.

"It is a catchy song, though," he said, taking a seat in front of Luke.

Luke wondered if he'd heard right.

"I think I need some fresh air," he said, making a dash for the doors. "Excuse me, sir."

Once in the corridor, he had to press himself against the wall for a moment, to avoid overly enthusiastic students running to see what all the noise was about. When it was safe to walk on, he only made it two steps before his path was blocked by a very serious looking girl.

"Um," Luke said, "hi Ophelia. May I help you?"

Ophelia folded her arms. "Luke, we need to talk," she said, in a tone that reminded Luke of his father.

She then proceeded to grab his arm and pull him into a nearby classroom. "In here."

Luke sighed, having a fair idea what this conversation would be about. He sat back on one of the desks. "What is it?"

"I called my father," she said, standing in front of him. "His spies know nothing about any visit from your cousin, and they know everything. Who is she?"

"Your father's spies keep track of who visits me?" Luke said. "Haven't they got anything better to do?"

"I want her gone, Luke. The boys can't stop staring at her. Kly is nearly in tears because her boyfriend won't stop talking about your supposed cousin's legs!"

Luke almost choked. "Listen," he said, when he managed to gain his voice, "you have nothing to be jealous about, believe me."

"Jealous? Who said I was jealous? I can't believe you would even suggest -" She broke off, staring at him intently. "Are you trying to grow a moustache?"

"What? No!" Luke said, his hand moving automatically to his upper lip.

"Good, because you wouldn't suit it. Now about your friend. She won't be here tomorrow. Are we in agreement?"

"She'll be attending school with me for as long as her visit lasts," Luke said.

"But she'd be much happier at another school," Ophelia said, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Right? Because people around here could make life very unpleasant for her. And unpleasantness has a way of spreading to those nearby, if you take my meaning. Tell her to stay home tomorrow. It's for her own good, Luke."

"Are you threatening her?" Luke said, not knowing whether to feel angry or burst out laughing.

"No. Just warning you. I, of course, always treat people with respect no matter what, but I can't speak for everyone."

"You think these other people would risk upsetting my father?" Luke suggested.

"I happen to know your father has more important things to deal with right now."

Her unblinking stare would have been funny if she didn't sound so dead serious.

"Look, she won't be here forever," Luke said, raising a hand. "Take it easy. She is no threat to your social status, if that's what you're worried about. I'm sure you and your friends can put up with her until then."

"That's your final answer? You won't do anything?"

"She has as much right to be here as you do," Luke said, starting to feel irritated.

"Then for the record, your cousin makes Hutts look thin," Ophelia said. "Her hair has more oil than a speeder engine. What would I have to be jealous about?"

"This conversation is over," Luke said, starting for the door. Before he reached it, Aviry entered, followed closely by Ben. He could still hear distant singing, so obviously someone else had taken over the lunchroom karaoke contest.

"Luke, please don't leave my sight without telling me where you are going," she said firmly. "I promised your -" she came to a halt, noticing Ophelia. "Hello," she said. "Have we had the pleasure?"

"No, not yet," Ophelia said with a very fake smile. "I'm Ophelia Halifax, daughter of Grand Moff Halifax. That was some nice singing! For a drunk Gamorrean. Maybe you should consider moonlighting in some of the lower levels? I'm sure there are a few Hutts that would love to add you to their harem."

Aviry stared at her for a moment and then said, "I like your hair. Are you a natural blonde?"

Ophelia then called Aviry a name that made Luke blush and started towards her like she was about to shove her. Luke hastily pulled Ophelia back. Ben had stepped back and was watching with what Luke could swear was excitement.

"Okay, okay, you hate her, she knows it," Luke said. "Move on."

He let Ophelia go and watched her, hoping she'd leave it there. She appeared torn for a moment but then tossed her hair over one shoulder and walked towards the exit. She gave Aviry a cold glare on the way out.

"Why did you stop her?" Ben said, when she'd gone.

Luke rolled his eyes. "Because Miss Professional Spy here would have taken her easily. I thought you liked Ophelia?"

"You think I'd hit a teenage girl?" Aviry said. "Don't be ridiculous. What kind of person do you think I am?"

"Sorry," Luke said, taken aback.

"And you actually like that girl?" she continued, turning to Ben. "Come on. You can do much better. You just need more self-confidence."

"I don't _like_ Ophelia," Ben mumbled. Aviry didn't appear convinced.

"As I was saying before," she said, turning back to Luke. "Please tell me if you're going to leave."

"I didn't want to interrupt your moment in the spotlight," Luke said. "What happened to keeping a low profile?"

"I felt like waking things up a little." She was followed by the signal for the end of lunch sounding over the comm. "Ooo, goody!" she said. "What subject have we got now?"

"Mathematics," Ben supplied.

"Lead on, squadron!" she said, gesturing for Luke to go out ahead of her.

* * *

After attending a senior staff meeting on the _Storm's Eye_, Vader found himself alone with Tarkin in the briefing room. The meeting had been an extended attempt by the ship's engineering staff to reassure them that progress was being made. It was well rehearsed and full of technical words that were carefully selected to sound good, but the underlying message was more than clear to Vader. It would take time to find a solution for their problem. Time they didn't have.

"Well?" Tarkin said, swiveling his chair to regard him.

Vader was staring out the viewport, where the indigo hues of Reeni Core were spread out below, visible in patches through the vast asteroid field. The asteroids themselves were iron-grey and shaped like shards of shattered glass. According to local lore, the asteroid field was once a neighbouring planet, destroyed by its own inhabitants. The debris had been sucked into Reeni Core's gravitational field, creating the galaxy-famous celestial displays visible from the surface. There was scientific evidence to support this view.

"Why did you have Governor Jala executed?" Vader asked, turning back to meet Tarkin's gaze.

He arched an eyebrow. "After leaving us with such a vast mess to clean up, an effective demonstration was required. Wouldn't you agree?"

Vader was silent, wondering why he had bothered asking. Clearly, Tarkin had some lackey he wished to promote to fill Jala's role, and this had seemed an ideal opportunity to dispatch someone viewed as too loyal to someone other than Tarkin.

"Rest assured, I gave him a fitting send off," Tarkin said, smiling in a chilling way. "I had him encased in a missile tube and fired off into the mine field. Made a very large explosion."

Whenever Vader felt particularly ruthless, he only needed to listen to Tarkin for a while to realize he was actually a pillar of compassion.

"I am going to fly through the field," Vader said, abruptly changing the subject.

The smile faded from Tarkin's face. "Are you _mad_?"

"There is no danger," Vader said calmly. "The Force will allow me to sense where these troublesome mines are located. I will take my ship to the surface and deactivate the mine field from there."

Tarkin made a scoffing noise. "Our troops are very likely destroyed. If you even made it past the mine field, you might very well find yourself outgunned by a hundred Reenian starfighters. Force or no Force, that is a foolhardy and reckless proposition."

"Your concern is touching," Vader said with amusement. Tarkin's tone was very familiar. He had used it with Luke, often enough. "But I am not asking for your permission."

"Oh, don't get me wrong," Tarkin said, waving a hand. "I don't care if you want to throw your life away. But you could at least have the presence of mind to die doing something that might actually benefit those of us who are trying to make this mission a success."

"Once I have opened a hole in the mine field, I will see about restoring communications," Vader said. He waved a finger at Tarkin. "Reinforcements may be needed. Watch for my signal."

"Of course," Tarkin said in a patronizing tone.

Vader stared at Tarkin for a moment. Sometimes he wondered if the man realized he'd actually aged quite a bit since he'd first worn this mask. Tarkin was one of the few people who had known Anakin Skywalker and knew exactly what had become of Anakin Skywalker. Despite the passage of time, he still viewed him as the Emperor's young apprentice in training. Still in need of the guidance of one more experienced. One like Tarkin.

It should have made him angry, but instead he felt a certain pleasure at the idea of demonstrating to Tarkin just how far he underestimated him.

"If you happen to speak to the Emperor," Vader said, walking towards the exit. "Tell him I will give President Gysin his compliments in person."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

* * *

Luke couldn't remember the last time he had felt so relieved. The final class of the day had come to an end. When he arrived at his locker, he found the entire door was covered in messages. He didn't need to read them to know they would all be for Aviry. It was getting hard to move around, with every second student wanting to talk to her.

Ben also seemed to have a message stuck to his locker. Luke was about to ask him what it was about, when he quickly grabbed it and stuffed it into his pocket. He gave Luke a look that clearly said 'don't ask'.

They were both silent as they rode down in the elevator. Aviry was laughing away at some of the love notes.

"Ha, listen to this," Aviry said, waving one of them. "Jun is purple. Pun is maroon. Your smile makes me breathless. Your eyes make me swoon."

"Eyes which you copied from me," Luke pointed out.

"Well do you know Havy? Your eyes make him swoon."

Luke gave Ben a look of long suffering and then turned to Aviry.

"I'm starting to think this teenage girl disguise wasn't a good idea. Actually, that's not quite right. I _knew_ this teenage girl disguise wasn't a good idea, and if you'll remember, I said so this morning."

"What's wrong?" she asked. "I thought today was fantastic. What do you think, Ben?"

Ben gave a weak smile, which quickly faded.

"What's wrong?" Luke asked.

He appeared torn for a moment and then pulled the note out of his pocket. It was written in thick red pen.

"Keep your hands off her, charity boy," Aviry read aloud. She paused for a moment. "They misspelt charity. Thousands of credits worth of the best education Coruscant has to offer, and they can't even spell charity?"

"You should have heard what Ophelia was saying before you two entered the room," Luke said. "I think she's gone slightly crazy with jealously, because she was making threats. She said she'd make Aviry's life unpleasant unless I made sure she didn't come tomorrow."

Aviry laughed. "Oooo, I can't wait to see what she comes up with. You think I should bring a blaster tomorrow? We might need the protection."

"I think I might be the one in need of protection," Ben said, gesturing at the note. "I bet it was written by Tak Staneer."

"Staneer," Aviry said thoughtfully. "Is he related to that casino chain owner, Biyal Staneer?"

"That's his father," Luke said. "Tak is a senior and built like a stormtrooper. He can't really string words together properly, never mind spell."

"He can't stand the fact that he has to attend school with supposedly poor people like me, when his father is near the top of Coruscant's rich list," Ben added. "He tried to beat me up during my first week."

"He wouldn't dare touch you now," Luke said.

"Yeah, I knew there was a reason why I let you be friends with me," Ben said.

"And I thought it was because you liked my reckless stupidity." Luke shared a grin with Ben.

"Maybe I should have a talk with this Tak tomorrow," Aviry said.

"No!" both Luke and Ben shouted at the same time.

"Don't worry," Luke said quickly. "We'll sort it out."

"It probably wasn't even him," Ben said, screwing up the note.

Aviry grinned. "Ah. I see. You don't want a girl defending you."

"I never said that," Ben said.

"If it helps, just keep in mind that I am male sometimes. Most of the time I'm neither male or female."

Luke smirked, privately thinking that was the last thing Ben would want to keep in mind. He looked ahead and saw they had come within sight of the access tube that would take them across to the Imperial City Mall. It reminded him that he'd made a mental note to himself to visit a pharmacy after school.

"I need to go shopping," Luke said. "And didn't you say there were some new games at the arcade?"

"Yeah," Ben said. "We can get some food at the mall as well. Aviry, do you like burgers?"

"Love them," she said, "but Luke has to go straight home."

"Says who?" Luke said, surprised.

"Your father. You are grounded, remember?"

"This is an essential purpose," Luke said. "I need to go shopping."

"For what?"

"Forget it," Luke said quickly. The last thing he wanted was unsolicited advice about shaving. "Sorry, Ben."

"No problem. I should get a head start on that history essay, anyway."

Ben departed at the next junction, to join a walkway that led to his apartment block. He and Aviry continued on in silence for the remainder of the journey. Luke began to wonder how he was going to occupy himself, if he was going to be stuck at home for at least the rest of the week. He was bored with his hologames, having racked up several high scores on most of them. He might have to resort to doing homework.

"I really had a good time today," Aviry said, as they entered the protected corridors. "Tomorrow, same time, same channel."

"I'll be looking forward to it," Luke said sarcastically.

Aviry laughed. "You sound like your father."

"Are you suggesting we're alike?"

"In some ways," Aviry said. "I noticed you gravitate towards the window seat in class. I think you spent the whole of that math class staring at the passing traffic. I've seen your father do the same thing in a military planning meeting. What are you thinking about?"

"Flying. I like to imagine what it would be like to be out there flying a speeder." Luke was silent for a moment. "I've been dreaming about flying my whole life," he added wistfully.

"Aren't you old enough to get a license?"

"Yes," Luke said, "but not mature enough, according to my father."

"Ah. Well, I'll let you in on a secret, Luke. When I was your age, my parent didn't think I was mature enough to learn to shapeshift. So whenever he wasn't home, I used to practice in secret. I became a master at it while I was away at school. At my graduation ceremony, my parent pulled me aside and said 'Well, I guess the time has arrived to teach you how to change your form.' I had no choice but to tell him that ship had already flown."

Luke couldn't help but smile.

"If you decide to go the same route," Aviry added, "don't mention my name to your father, whatever you do."

"There's been so many times I wanted to," Luke said. "Believe me. You've seen his speeder collection?"

Aviry nodded. "Among the best in the galaxy. If I was your age, I'd have a hard time keeping my hands off the keys."

"I think about it every time I go down there. But he's my father and, despite what he says, I do respect him."

"That sounds very wise."

"It will take him months to forgive me for the traffic diving," Luke said. "It would probably take years if I flew one of his speeders without permission."

"Perhaps the fact that he is a pilot himself is a large part of this," Aviry suggested. "He knows how dangerous it can be, and he worries about you facing that same danger. You are not just his child, but the very future of the Empire. That is worth protecting to every extreme."

"But it just isn't fair!" Luke said, feeling a lot of pent up frustration come spilling out. "I can't live without facing danger sometimes!"

Aviry was staring at him in surprise, along with a few other passers-by. They had reached the elevator hub at this point, so there were a few people passing in transit. Luke took a few slow breaths, forcing himself to calm down.

"Look, I know what you must be thinking," he said. "Living in luxury, yet he whines about not being allowed to fly. Another spoiled Coruscant brat."

"No, Luke, that's not what I think. Flying is clearly your boon."

"Boon?"

"A Zolan term. It means your state of bliss. The activity that gives you the most joy. The thing you think about first thing when you wake up and last thing when you go to sleep. Everyone has one, although it can change throughout life."

A nearby elevator chimed, and Luke followed Aviry in.

"What's yours?" Luke asked.

"I thought it was being a spy," Aviry said, a sad note entering her voice. "I'm not so sure now. I think the time has come for me to retire. I need to find a new boon."

"I could never get tired of flying."

The elevator came to a halt, having reached a level about halfway up.

"You have my comlink frequency?" Aviry asked.

Luke shook his head. "I can look it up on the internal directory," he suggested.

"Very well. If you need me, I'll be in my office. It's in the north corridor in the intelligence department."

She started to exit the elevator and then stopped.

"Luke, don't give up hope on flying just yet. I know that time seems to pass slowly now, but there will come a time when you'll wish you weren't aging so quickly."

Luke met the gaze that mirrored his own for a moment and then nodded. Aviry gave him one last smile and then disappeared down the corridor. The doors closed automatically, and the elevator resumed. Luke leaned back against the wall, rubbing his head. Aviry had given him a lot to think about. He'd never considered the idea that his father's concern for his safety was part of the reason he was so reluctant to let him loose on the skies. If only his father would tell him these things himself, maybe they wouldn't argue as much as they did.

Although, Luke had to admit he kept more than a few of his own feelings secret from his father. It was ironic that they found it so hard to communicate, considering they had more ways to do so than most fathers and sons. Still, other fathers and sons weren't separated as often as they were. And when they were together, every conversation seemed to be interrupted by the ever present needs of the Empire.

When he entered his bedroom, Luke headed for the refresher, intending to see for himself just what had caused Ophelia to think he was growing a moustache. If he couldn't go shopping for a razor, he'd have to resort to mail order via the HoloNet. Last time he'd tried that, a remote control starfighter he'd ordered had ended up being destroyed by security as a bomb threat. His father had refused to refund his allowance money on the grounds that 'he should have known better'. Hopefully a razor would have better luck.

Ten minutes later, Luke was dragged away from the mirror by the sound of his bedroom holocom terminal. Ben and Lev normally used his carry comlink frequency. Perhaps it was Aviry.

When he pressed the receive button, it lit up with the image of someone who was definitely not Aviry.

"Hi," Luke said, surprised to see his father.

"Son. How are you getting on with Agent Aviry?"

Luke blinked at the hologram, wondering if his father had called just to ask that. It was a difficult question to answer. If he said Aviry was ruining his life, he'd be giving his father the satisfaction of knowing his punishment was effective. On the other hand, if he said everything was fine, his father might decide he needed to concoct an even worse method of torment.

"I … um … I choose not to answer that," Luke said finally. "How's Reeni Core?"

"I will soon find out. I will be out of communication range from tomorrow."

"Why?" Luke said, confused. "Is Reeni Core that primitive?"

"I cannot explain further. If you must contact me urgently, leave a message and I will receive it at the earliest opportunity."

"Are you doing something dangerous?" Luke asked, suspicious.

His father was silent for a moment and then said, "If I compare what I am doing to traffic diving, it is not dangerous at all."

Luke sighed. He supposed he should get used to this.

"Is there anything you wish to discuss?" his father asked.

Luke glanced aside. Part of him wanted to ask if the restriction on his movement applied to shopping for personal items, just to avoid the risk of an embarrassing security fiasco. On the other hand, that would result in an interrogation that might force him to admit he intended to start shaving. Luke considered his father's possible reaction to that and then decided he'd stick to the HoloNet.

"No, nothing I can think of," Luke said, staring at his boots.

"Are you hiding something?" his father asked sharply.

"Are you?" Luke shot back.

"Luke, if I find out you have once again taken advantage of my absence to engage in some reckless –"

"I'm not doing anything," Luke insisted. "I don't believe this! You don't even trust me when you've got your spy following me around."

"Are you implying that I should?"

Luke forced himself to calm down, before his father ended up rehashing his entire lecture from last night. "I'm sitting at home, just like I should be," Luke said. "Happy?"

"Good. Make sure you continue to behave in the manner I expect of you."

"Say hi to Artoo for me," Luke said shortly. There was little point continuing this conversation.

"Very well. Goodbye, Son."

His father disconnected the call.

* * *

Secure in the knowledge that Luke wasn't planning to throw himself out of any more speeders in the immediate further, Vader spent the night getting some much needed rest.

The next morning, word had spread quickly around the _Storm's Eye_ that Vader was going to attempt to reach Reeni Core personally. It was surprising, considering the only person he'd told was Tarkin. Either Tarkin decided it should be shipwide knowledge, or the techs who had refueled and inspected his ship had put two and two together when he requested a maintenance check on the forward lasers.

Tarkin remained dismissive of the whole mission, publicly referring to it as madness. Admiral Sivia was terrified, presumably because he felt he would be held responsible if Vader should die. He did not attempt to talk Vader out of it, clearly being smart enough to realize that wasn't his place. The lower ranks seemed inspired by the whole idea. When he entered the ship hangar to complete a last minute departure check, there were more than a few curious pilots wandering around, attempting to act busy.

One of the maintenance engineers was waiting by his ship.

"She's in top-notch condition, sir," he said as Vader approached. "Everything is ready."

"Good."

"The only thing is this astromech droid," the tech said, gesturing at Artoo with a hydrospanner. "We tried to replace him with a new model, but he made an awful fuss. Said he was ordered by you to stay with the ship."

"The droid performs its duties adequately," Vader said. "There is no need to replace it."

"Yes, sir."

"Inform the bridge I am about to depart," Vader said, striding towards the hatch.

"Yes, sir. Uh … good luck, sir."

"There is no such thing as luck," Vader replied, climbing into the cockpit.

The engineer saluted and then walked quickly towards the hangar control tower. Vader settled into the pilot's seat and switched on the flight computer. When he looked up, he found he was being watched by Artoo's unblinking eye.

Vader briefly toyed with the notion of leaving Artoo on the _Storm's Eye_ but then dismissed the idea. Luke would never forgive him if he came back without his droid, but Artoo would likely solder himself into the socket if he tried to remove him. Artoo had survived far more dangerous missions than this.

The monitor lit up with a line of text, and Vader glanced down.

_Where are we going?_

"To Reeni Core," Vader said, starting the launch sequence. "We are flying through the mine field. I will need you to constantly scan for energy sources."

Artoo whistled cheerfully in response.

"We know very little about this defense system," Vader continued, watching as the ship warmed up the systems. "The other pilots who have attempted to make this journey died before they could tell us anything."

Artoo responded with another line of text on the monitor.

_This sounds like the type of mission Threepio would never approve of._

"Indeed," Vader agreed.

An array of lights glowed on the controls, indicating the ship was now ready for take off. He glanced at the scopes and saw the docking bay shields had been deactivated in anticipation of his departure. He reached for the controls, feeling something almost like excitement as he lifted the ship off the landing bay floor. No matter how many times he flew in space, it never felt routine. It only made it better when he knew he was single-handedly making a difference in the quest for order in the galaxy. This was what he was born to do.

* * *

Between a comlink call from his father and trying to catch up on a backlog of homework, Luke had forgotten about Ophelia and her subtle threats until he met up with Ben the next morning. His friend was clearly a little on edge as they entered the locker hall.

"Maybe you should get one of the janitor droids to open your locker first," Ben suggested. "Remember that time someone put a mynock in Kela's locker?"

"Poor mynock," Luke said. "I think it was more frightened than Kela."

"I can open your locker," Aviry suggested. "I know how to defuse most common explosives."

Luke responded by walking on ahead and swiping his access key against the reader. The door sprung open, revealing nothing but datapads, viewscreens, and some stale cosmo crunchies.

"All clear," Luke said, dropping his bag on the floor. He started to fill it with needed items, but Ben tapped him on the shoulder.

"Uh, Luke?"

Luke glanced up. "What? Oh."

Pam was standing a meter away.

"Luke, can I talk to you?" she mumbled, brushing her fringe out of her eyes.

Luke sighed. "Sure." He glanced back at Aviry. "Is it all right if I talk to Pam alone for a moment?"

"No problem," she said. "I'll find your math homework. That's your first class, right?"

Luke nodded. He gestured to Pam to move away. Once they were out of earshot, he folded his arms, waiting to hear what she had to say. She looked at his expression for a moment and then dropped her gaze.

"Look, I know you're probably annoyed about the other day. I'm sorry. I was scared, and it all happened so fast."

"Yeah," Luke said. "I'm sure your friend Kazah planned it that way!"

"He didn't have anything to do with it."

"Are you sure?"

Pam ignored the question. "I just wanted to say that we're going traffic diving again tonight, so let me know if you want to come."

"Are you kidding? My father was so angry, I don't think he's ever going to let me go near a speeder again. I'm grounded."

"Isn't he somewhere else right now?" Pam asked. "I saw on the news that he was with the navy at Reeni Core."

"Oh, believe me, he doesn't have to be on planet to ensure his wishes are carried out," Luke said, glancing back at Aviry. Some senior boys had stopped to flirt with her. Judging by Ben's expression, they were doing a very bad job.

"It's up to you," she conceded. "You have my comlink frequency if you change your mind."

Luke started to walk back to his locker, but he paused for a moment.

"Is Scarp all right?"

"Yes. Why?"

"He was hurt in your rush to get away from the traffic patrol. Then his father hit him at the traffic station."

"Yeah, his father's done that before," Pam said. "And that nerf wonders why his son likes to jump out of speeders, huh? Don't worry about him. His father isn't even on Coruscant most of the time."

"If you see him, just tell him I hope things weren't too bad when he got home," Luke said. He didn't look back as he walked away from Pam.

The senior boys scattered as Luke returned, to Ben's visible relief.

"Ready?" Aviry asked, smiling brightly. She was clearly still excited about attending school.

"Yeah," Luke said, without enthusiasm. He picked up his school pack from the floor beside his locker and started the journey to their next class.

"What did she say?" Ben asked, walking beside him.

"She invited me to go traffic diving again."

"Don't even think about it, Cuzzy!" Aviry said.

"I didn't," Luke snapped.

"Are you all right?" Aviry asked, clearly surprised at his tone.

Luke didn't reply.

"Don't tell me you still want to go?" Ben said, incredulous.

Luke shook his head. "It's Pam. I thought I liked her, but she turned out to be kind of selfish. But then maybe I'm judging her too harshly."

"No, she is selfish," Ben said. "She's also crazy."

"I don't understand her," Luke admitted.

"Don't try and understand women," Aviry said. "We take pride in being incomprehensible to men. Doubly so when we're talking about teenage girls."

"And I thought it was just me," Ben said, shaking his head.

"Where do hermaphrodites fit into that?" Luke asked, glancing at Aviry.

"That's a big word. Where did you learn that?"

"From a HoloNet article on Clawdites," Luke said. "I just wanted to make sure you didn't have any other surprises for me."

"That's wise of you. In answer to your question, I like to think I'm open to seeing things from any point of view."

"So how are you supposed to have a girlfriend if you can't understand girls?" Ben asked.

"Ben," Aviry said, patting him on the shoulder as they entered the classroom, "one day you will meet a girl that you don't entirely understand, but you will realize that her incomprehensibility is part of the reason you love her. That's the beauty of a good relationship."

Luke could see Ben was nodding, but he didn't know if he was listening or just enjoying watching her talk. He tuned out as they continued the conversation and made his way to his usual window seat. The skies were jammed with the varied arrays of morning traffic, and Luke slipped easily into old daydreams. The teachers had long since given up asking him to pay attention when he was in this kind of mood. He could always catch up later.

The math class was followed by a geography class. Unfortunately, this classroom was located on the inside of the building, so there were no windows. But he found geography a more enjoyable subject, especially when they studied exotic planets. He was feeling in a much better mood by the time the morning break rolled around. Ben and Aviry were talking about Reeni Core as they left the classroom, as it had been brought up in class. Luke was half listening, interested to hear if Aviry would reveal any details of her last assignment.

They passed a water station a few meters down the corridor, and Aviry stopped. "Do you mind waiting a moment? I need to fill up."

Luke obliged, watching as Aviry unscrewed the top from her drinking bottle. Ben stood beside him, humming the tune to 'Hyperspace Girl'.

Suddenly, they all jumped at the sound of a blaring alarm. Luke twisted around, and found himself face to scanner with a hovering security droid. The sound caused all the nearby students to stop walking and gather around.

"Shut it off!" Ben suggested.

Luke reached out a hand, but the droid backed away. A red-filtered image of Luke filled its main viewscreen and then zoomed in on his schoolpack. A rectangular object could be seen glowing inside, highlighted with a red rectangle. He quickly tried to move away, but the droid hovered forward.

"Throw something at it!" another student suggested. She had her hands over her ears.

Luke was at a loss. Short of dousing it with water, he had no idea what to do. He felt his face turning red as more students joined the growing crowd, all straining for a look at what was going on. The crowd parted slightly, and he looked up at the sight of Mr Kyde, their history teacher. He stepped up calmly to the droid and waved his ID card in front of the forward scanner. The noise ceased immediately.

The teacher then turned on Luke, who had ended up backed up against the water station in his attempt to get away.

"Are you carrying a weapon?"

"Of course not," Luke said, showing his palms. "Nothing."

"In your schoolpack."

"Nothing," Luke repeated. "Just datapads. Some food. It must be malfunctioning."

Luke felt a hand on his back and looked over his shoulder to find Aviry was sliding the schoolpack off his right arm. In a moment, she'd pulled out a small plastic bag containing vials of brightly coloured pills. The crowd of students had fallen completely silent at this point. Luke stared at the unfamiliar objects and then glanced at Ben. His friend looked stunned. There was clearly no point asking if this was his.

"Are those yours?" Luke asked Aviry. She didn't reply, but her eyes narrowed in a way that made Luke feel like he'd done something wrong.

"I think we better go somewhere private," Mr Kyde said. He turned to the watching students. "Can everyone please stop blocking the corridor!"

Once a path was cleared, Luke felt Aviry pushing him forward. Ben started to follow, but Mr Kyde told him to stay behind. Luke expected they would move into a nearby classroom, but instead they were guided to the administration offices. As soon as there were no other students around, Luke turned to Aviry.

"What are those things?"

"Oh please," she said, rolling her eyes. "Drop the innocent act!"

"It's not an act," Luke said, frowning. "I really don't know."

"They're illegal stimulants," Mr Kyde supplied.

"This stuff is called 'Charge'," Aviry said, looking closely at the tablets. "It's been popular at local nightclubs for the last few months."

In a moment, Luke had a horrible realization of how bad this was. They thought he was some kind of drug addict.

"You don't really think those are mine, do you?" Luke said, looking from Mr Kyde to Aviry.

"Let me guess, they were just resting in your bag for someone else?" Aviry suggested, sarcastically.

"I have no idea how they -" Luke stopped, his mind racing. "Ophelia."

"What about her?" Mr Kyde asked.

"She threatened me yesterday because she didn't want Aviry to come today," Luke said. "This is her idea of revenge!"

"When would she have put them in?" Aviry asked. "I've been with you all day."

Luke snapped his fingers. "In the locker hall. I left my bag on the floor while I was talking with Pam."

"I was standing right there," Aviry said. "I notice everything."

"Well, you missed something today," Luke said, "because they weren't in there this morning."

"Wait in here," Mr Kyde said, gesturing at an empty office. "I will discuss this with the principal."

"I'll stay here and watch Luke," Aviry said.

"I don't need watching," Luke said, annoyed. Regardless, he entered the room, and sat down on the edge of a couch. Aviry remained standing. She then shook her head in a disappointed way and began pacing.

"I realize you are under a lot of pressure," she started, in a tone Luke knew very well, "and your relationship with your father isn't on the best terms. But mind altering substances are not the answer! How long has this been going on?"

"Haven't you heard the phrase innocent until proven guilty?" Luke asked. "And stop talking to me like you're my …" Father wasn't the right word. Neither was mother, for that matter. "Just stop lecturing me," Luke finished.

"Fine," she said. "When your father is back in communication range, I will obtain his permission to take you to your medic for a test."

Luke groaned, just imagining his father's reaction to this. It wouldn't be a problem if he was on Coruscant. Their mental link would allow his father to sense he was telling the truth. It didn't work when they were on opposite sides of the galaxy. "Look, he's been through enough lately," Luke pleaded. "Don't involve him."

"You should have thought of that before making your choice," Aviry said. "It was that Pam girl, wasn't it? She got you into this. I thought she looked the type."

"Haven't you spent enough time with me already to know something just isn't right here?" Luke suggested. "Ask Ben for star's sake."

"For all I know, Ben is involved too," Aviry said. She shook her head again. "Things really haven't changed since I was at school."

Luke could only sigh. It was clear he was wasting his breath trying to defend himself to Aviry. She had already made up her mind.

* * *

Vader's first thought had been to attempt to pass through an area where the mine field was least dense, near the planet's poles. But it seemed the twenty-odd dead pilots had followed the same idea, making it a poor recommendation. After a brief flight a quarter-way around the planet, he chose a spot at approximately forty-five degrees latitude.

His former self might have barrelled into the field at full-throttle, especially if Obi-Wan happened to be watching. It was still tempting, which was a worrying thought. Fortunately, not tempting enough. He brought the ship to a halt and then leaned back, stretching out with the Force.

After a few minutes, Artoo beeped impatiently and then whistled something about his scanners showing nothing out of the ordinary.

"I don't sense anything either," Vader said. "Perhaps we need to move closer."

Artoo was silent as Vader powered up the engines and began to navigate the ship through the asteroids. They were small, but slow moving, and it was no real test of his piloting skills to avoid them. The Force was still and calm, to a point where Vader wondered if the mine field had been deactivated from the surface.

Half an hour in, Artoo made a low whistle that sounded fearful. Text began to form on the monitor.

_It is too quiet._

"Silence is something to be grateful for," Vader said, swerving right to avoid a particularly large asteroid. "Or perhaps you haven't heard some of the music Luke claims to enjoy?"

Artoo chuckled in amusement. The noise suddenly turned into a screech, a fraction after Vader sensed a tremor in the Force. He slowed to a complete stop.

"What is it?"

The scopes lit up with a flood of readings, indicating the presence of several dangerous substances. Artoo whistled loudly, focusing his attention on the monitor. The droid brought up a graphical representation of his sensor data, showing a mesh of lines between the nearby asteroids, like a connect-the-dots puzzle. Something stirred in the depths of Vader's memory. He had seen something like this before.

There were rumors during the clone wars, but they'd never been substantiated by any intelligence data. Some said the Geonosians had made fortunes selling this defense technology to fearful planets, but it had never been encountered in practice. The idea was to create a large-scale mine field using a small number of very powerful mines. The devices were detonated when a ship-sized object passed through the sensor beams. They claimed it was the ultimate solution in planetary security.

Vader stared out the window for a moment, contemplating his position. He could return to the _Storm's Eye_ with this new data, and have it analysed, in the hope they could find a quick and simple solution. Tarkin would likely approve. One of the many reasons why his mind was already passing over the idea.

"Artoo, do you think your sensors could detect the precise location of optical beams?" The ship's sensors were designed more for larger areas and didn't have the precision they would need to avoid destruction.

It took a few seconds for Artoo to respond.

_Yes._

"Good." Vader pressed a button to switch the computer to target mode. "Display the data on the targeting computer."

Artoo signalled his compliance with a nervous beep.

Three bright green lines lit up on the screen. The display rotated into three dimensions for a moment, showing the position of the ship. There was one directly in front that angled up and away. Another one was almost perpendicular to the long axis of the ship.

"Hold on," Vader said, gripping the controls.

He resisted the urge to fly full throttle at first, while he tested his connection to the Force against Artoo's sensor data. They melded perfectly, allowing him to locate and avoid the fatal beams with relative ease. As time went on, he increased his speed, eager to fly beyond this web and to discover what had become of their troops on the surface below.

Soon, he was twisting and diving through the field at full throttle. Every time he flew like this, there came a time when his sense of his own prosthetic-encased body seemed to melt away, and he became one with the ship. There was nothing quite like it.

Out here, there was no Emperor. There was no Tarkin. They may as well not even exist. If only this would never end …

In a split second, his daydream came to a sudden end. Artoo screeched, and Vader opened eyes he didn't remember closing. The monitors had all gone blank.

"What is it?" Vader said, quickly slowing down.

The Force shook with a warning, and Vader pushed the throttle all the way in. But his concentration had been shattered, and he was flying blind. It was only a matter of seconds before the inevitable happened. The right wing snagged a beam, causing the surrounding space to shimmer with a dull red light.

Instinct took over. The roar of the engines drowned out Artoo's frantic whistles as he flew desperately for the clearest patch of space he could see. He left one hand gripping the flight controls, while the other flew over the switches, diverting every last piece of power that could be spared into the engines. In a final, desperate attempt to avoid destruction, he switched off the shields entirely.

The ship surged forward with the boost of energy. Then every control panel in the ship glared white, causing Vader to hastily restore the shields. Artoo made a sound like a screaming alarm. Vader looked up to see the explosion growing larger in Artoo's eye.

The last thing Vader remembered was the ship spinning out of control amid a massive wave of energy.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

* * *

It was nearly lunchtime before Luke was finally allowed to return to his normal activities. After listening to Aviry rant for a good half hour, he had been invited into a meeting with the principal and Fourbee-Four, the school guidance counsellor droid. His passionate denial of guilt finally brought the principal around to his side, and she said they would leave it to Aviry to inform his father. Fourbee said he'd like to start seeing Luke regularly from now on but then added the school couldn't force him to attend, much to Luke's relief.

Aviry was silent as they left the administration offices. Luke wasn't in the mood for talking to her either. Her belief in his guilt hurt him more than he'd ever imagined it would. She wasn't even willing to consider the idea that he might be innocent.

"What subject do you have now?" Aviry asked, as Luke turned down a side corridor.

"It's a study gap," Luke said shortly.

"Where are you going?"

"Here," Luke said, stopping outside a large set of double doors.

At that moment, a classmate of Luke's came through the doors, revealing the school library beyond. It was Greein. He grinned at the sight of Aviry.

"Hi, Aviry. I'm just heading to the snack machine. May I get you something?"

"No, but thank you for the kind offer," Aviry said. Luke rolled his eyes.

Greein made to walk on but then stopped, seeming to just notice that Luke was there too. "Hey, Luke, there's a rumor going around that you were caught with stims!"

"Some nerf put them in my bag," Luke said, frowning.

"Yeah, I thought it would be something like that," Greein said. "Shame you two missed science. Mrs Ioya brought in part of a mynock nest."

While Greein had been speaking, a beeping noise had started from inside Aviry's pocket. She pulled out her comlink.

"I'll need to take this," she said, turning to Luke. "Stay in the library and study. Don't go anywhere else until I return."

"Yes, sir," Luke said, sarcastically.

Aviry gave him a sharp look. "Don't get lippy with me."

"Then don't order me around!" Luke suggested.

"I don't ask for much from you," she said, pointing at him. "But I think common courtesy is the very least I am entitled to."

She then walked away before Luke could reply.

Greein stared after her. "Your cousin is so hot," he said.

"What?" Luke said. "No, never mind, I don't want to know." He moved past Greein and entered the library. Ben waved at him from the mezzanine floor, and Luke climbed up a nearby corkscrew staircase.

"Where's Aviry?" Ben asked, as Luke joined him.

Luke sighed. He had been framed by some vindictive person trying to ruin his life, and all Ben could ask was where Aviry was. He was starting to understand why Ophelia wanted her gone.

"Who cares."

"What happened? She didn't think they were really yours, did she?"

Luke was about to explain, when a shadow fell across the table. Ophelia stood over them. Luke immediately pushed back his chair and stood up in anger.

Before he could open his mouth, she raised a single hand. "Not here."

Luke was about to argue but then thought better of it. They were already attracting more than a few stares. Ophelia turned and walked towards a nearby copier room. Luke shared a quick look with Ben and then followed her. When they were safely alone, Luke glared at Ophelia, trying to calm down enough to speak. There were so many accusations he could make. It was only a matter of which one to say first.

"Did you put those things in my bag?" he asked with a dangerous edge.

"Of course not," Ophelia scoffed, leaning on one of the computer terminals. "I'm not that stupid. What would that possibly accomplish? I do know who was responsible, however. For a price, I could let you in on the information."

"What price?" Luke said, confused. Ophelia had more money that she could ever possibly spend.

"You know my price. Aviry, gone. As soon as possible."

Luke rolled his eyes and turned around, intending to return to the study table.

"I'll even arrange for the idiot to be expelled," Ophelia said. "You won't need to bother planning revenge."

"You know, this would be funny if it wasn't so sad," Luke said, turning back.

"What else do you want, then?" Ophelia asked. "The answers to the next history test? I heard you telling Charity Case that your grade wasn't so good."

"Do you have them?" Luke asked, surprised.

"I can have them in your hands before the test."

"Look, there's no point trying to play these games with me," Luke said. "I can't do anything about Aviry."

"Games? Does a headline all over the HoloNet sound like a game to you, Luke? Lord Vader's son is a drug addict? It could get worse if you don't stop daydreaming and do something!"

"I don't believe this," Luke said. "Are you threatening to go to the media?"

"Not at all. If my father heard one whiff of a drug problem he'd take me out of this school in a second. But do you imagine everyone here is above that? I'm trying to protect my own interests here."

"That I can believe," Luke said. "But as I said, I can't do anything about Aviry. If I could, I would."

"Who is she?" Ophelia asked.

Luke made a noise that was a mix of frustration and defeat. Telling her was the only way to end this, it seemed. "If you must know, she's a spy who works for my father."

"Oh?" Ophelia said, looking genuinely surprised. "Ohhh," she added, understanding filling her face. She looked taken aback for a moment and then said, "Why didn't you say so in the first place?"

"I told you she wasn't a threat to your social status," Luke said, rolling his eyes. "Why didn't you trust me?"

"Because you have no idea what social status even means, never mind what threatens it."

"Just keep it to yourself. I'd rather not have the whole school knowing. Although I suppose I can't stop you." Luke started to leave, but Ophelia spoke again before he reached the door.

"Liza Starks."

"What?"

"In the senior year. It was an attempt to ingratiate herself to those with more influence. She thought your bag was Aviry's, as she had seen her holding it. Kly overheard her boasting about it in the refresher this morning."

"I don't know her," Luke said.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of her. I've already ensured everyone's silence on her little joke."

"What do you mean 'take care' of her?" Luke said, having a mental image of this Liza person being shot in the back in a dark alley somewhere.

"I haven't decided yet," Ophelia said, moving past him towards the door. She left without another word.

Luke stared at the ceiling for a moment, wondering if his life would ever resemble anything normal. Nothing that went on in the Imperial senate could possibly be as knotted as high school politics.

When he rejoined Ben, he found his friend was staring vacantly after Ophelia. There was no sign of Aviry, much to Luke's relief.

"Do you know a senior called Liza Starks?" Luke asked, sitting down at the table.

"Huh?" Ben said, turning back. "Who's she?"

"The person who framed me or so Ophelia says."

"Liza … wasn't she the one that tried to vandalize Pam's speeder? Remember?"

"Really?" Luke said. "That would explain what she has against me. Anyway, that's the least of my worries. Aviry threatened to tell my father." Luke shook his head. "Even if I asked Ophelia to make this Liza person confess to Aviry herself, she still wouldn't believe I was innocent."

"What do you think your father will do if she tells him?"

"I don't know," Luke said. "He usually believes me when I tell the truth. I guess I'll have to deal with that when I come to it." He shook his head. "I bet this is exactly the sort of treatment that drives people to drugs in the first place."

"I just hope no one has anything else planned," Ben said.

"Nothing could be worse than that," Luke said.

"I don't know, I can think of worse things."

"Well, I'm not going to spend the next few days looking around every corner just because some girls are jealous. Anyway, I told Ophelia who Aviry really was, so we can count her out. I don't think there are many other people who would dare."

"I hope you're right," Ben said, glancing over his shoulder.

* * *

Artoo was bleeping away about something. Vader glanced down, trying to concentrate enough to understand the droid. It still meant nothing to him, so he returned to the task at hand. His favorite ship, his customized Delta-7, needed a new fuel injector. He wasn't going to sleep until it was done.

Artoo's beeps merged into the sound of a comlink, and Vader looked around for the source. The droid rolled closer, and his projector lit up, casting a hologram onto the floor. The hologram shimmered green for a moment and then became a real person, standing a meter away.

"Lord Vader."

It was Sergeant Foil from the Traffic Control department.

"I'm afraid I have some terrible news about your son."

The words caused a chilling surge of fear. No, it couldn't be. Not Luke. He had left Aviry to watch him!

Artoo whistled again, more insistently this time.

The sergeant was shaking his head. "Such a tragic loss."

"No!" Vader took a step towards the man, having a sudden urge to choke him into silence. His advance was halted by a very familiar voice from behind.

"Will you take it easy?"

He whirled around and found Luke was sitting in the pilot's seat of the starfighter. His arms were folded behind his head.

"You are reckless!" Vader said, starting towards him with a finger raised in accusation.

"I'm not!"

"You are," Vader said firmly. "What were you thinking, flying through that mine field at full throttle?"

"That was you, not me!" Luke protested.

Vader felt confusion at the words. Luke was right. What made him say that? He stared at Luke again and found he hadn't been speaking to Luke at all. It was a fifteen year old Anakin Skywalker.

_Dreaming_, Vader realized. How pointless.

"I suppose you think I should let Luke fly?" Vader said derisively.

Young Anakin didn't respond. He was distracted by Artoo, who was still whistling away.

"Luke is not like you," Vader protested. He considered the words for a moment and then realized that was more an argument in favor of Luke flying, rather than against.

"But I _love_ flying," young Anakin said. "So do you!"

"It's too dangerous," Vader said. "I cannot face losing him!"

"You sound like Mom," young Anakin said, climbing out of the ship and placing a hand on Artoo's dome. "Remember how she used to feel about the podracing?"

Vader turned away. He didn't want to remember.

"She didn't sleep a wink the night before I went out for the first time. She tried to hide her tears …"

"Stop it," Vader said, hearing desperation in his voice.

"But she let me go anyway," Anakin said.

"She had no choice."

"Not every time. Hey, I think you better pay attention to Artoo," Anakin said, pointing at the droid. "He's going to blow a circuit if you don't wake up."

Vader stared at the droid, who immediately started whistling. Why would Artoo care whether he was dreaming or awake?

"The mine field," Vader remembered. The shock made him sit up immediately, and the dream was replaced with a cold, silent reality. He looked from side to side, taking in his surroundings. The ship appeared to be intact. Reeni Core filled the space beyond, and there was no sign of any asteroids. It seemed he'd cheated death, once again.

His gaze then fell on the astromech dock. Where he expected to find Artoo, there was only a round, empty hole.

The sight filled him with a sudden horror. The poor droid had been blown right out of the socket, thanks to his recklessness. Luke would never forgive him. Threepio would be devastated.

He stared blankly at the empty monitors, feeling hollow. Artoo had always seemed … immortal.

_Beep!_

Vader quickly looked at the comlink, wondering if he'd just imagined that sound. But then the beep was followed by a joyous whistle, and a fully functional Artoo rolled into view across the left wing.

"Artoo." Vader released a weary breath. "What are you doing?"

Artoo beeped away, while Vader reached out to switch on the computer. The translation soon filled the screen.

_Repairing the engines. They were damaged in the explosion. I was starting to think you were, too!_

Vader stared down at his body. Everything seemed to be in the right place. The respirator was functioning at an even pace. His legs and arms were still moving as they were supposed to.

"I am unhurt. What happened?"

_The ship was blown into a spin by the explosion. When you fell unconscious, I overrode the manual controls and guided us to our present location. The rear shields failed, and we've lost part of the hyperdrive. I have managed to repair the sublight engines, which should be enough to make a landing on Reeni Core._

"Good work," Vader said. He gazed around, having a sudden realization. "We have cleared the mine field."

_Yes, the force from the explosion pushed us through the last leg of the journey._

"Then I think it is time we completed our mission," Vader said, reaching up to grip the flight controls.

_There is a slight problem._

"How slight?" Vader asked.

_I had to drain the power reserve to keep the shields holding for as long as possible. We are currently recharging by means of solar power._

"How long will this take?" Vader asked, already having a suspicion.

_That depends on whether you can do without the lasers._

"The weapons are essential. There is a planet full of Rebels down there."

_Two hours._

Vader had a sudden urge to swear. He resisted the temptation, however. Artoo did not deserve to hear that, after he had saved his life for the umpteenth time.

"Very well," Vader said, letting his hands fall back in his lap. "We will wait patiently."

He sat still for a moment, meshing his fingers together.

"Do we have communications?" he asked eventually.

_Still jammed by the mine field. Would you like me to attempt to reach the surface?_

"No," Vader said after considering it for a moment. "For all I know, our troops on the surface may be dead. It would only alert our enemies of our vulnerability."

The sight of the explosion in the mine field would have caused Tarkin and the others on the _Storm's Eye_ to assume he was no longer among the living. No matter. It wouldn't be the first time he was believed dead. If Tarkin had the sense to contact the Emperor, his master would soon correct them.

Vader leaned back in the pilot's seat, deciding he might as well meditate. There was a certain peace out here in the depths of space that one would never find on Coruscant.

The silence was short-lived, however. Vader opened his eyes at the sound of Artoo whistling over the comlink.

_May I ask you something?_

"What?"

_While you were unconscious, you were saying something indistinct into the comlink. Were you dreaming?_

Vader thought back and suddenly remembered exactly what his dream had been about. Luke and his impatient quest for his speeder's license. Even out here, he couldn't escape it.

"Yes."

_What does it feel like to dream?_

Vader considered the question. How did one explain that to a droid? "Dreams are similar to the process you undergo when you defragment and clean your memory banks," he said finally.

_Oh. I understand._

"During a dream, we are often made aware of old data that has not been deleted."

_Is that what happened to you?_

"Yes."

Vader breathed wearily for a few cycles of the respiration and then spoke.

"I suppose you've heard Luke wants to obtain his speeder's license?"

_He talks about nothing else._

"Do you think I should agree to it?"

_There is a high probability it would make Luke happy._

"Giving him a million credits would make him happy," Vader said. "That doesn't mean it is the right thing to do. Luke is too immature. Flying a speeder could very well mean his death."

Artoo was silent for a while.

_According to my calculations, the odds of that occurring are 9968 to 1._

"Did you account for Luke's recklessness?"

_Yes._

"Then why are the odds so low?"

_I took into account that he is your son, and so there is a high probability he has inherited your aptitude for piloting. You have repeatedly survived situations where the odds were in favor of your death._

"Whether one lives or dies is not always decided by one's talents," Vader said. "It is decided by the Force."

_It is difficult to account for the Force in mathematical terms._

"I would not attempt it," Vader said. "You might damage something."

_Very well. In conclusion, if I take into account the useful benefits of gaining piloting skills, and Luke's likely enjoyment of the activity, weighed against the risk to his life, I would say yes, you should agree to let him fly._

Vader considered Artoo's logic for a moment and then concluded it had been a pointless question to ask in the first place. A droid could not understand what it was like to be a parent. Unexpectedly, the droid began whistling again, and a new paragraph was added.

_Of course, if Luke gains his license, there is a high chance he will take me out with him sometimes. So I have an ulterior motive._

"I see," Vader said dryly.

Artoo continued to beep.

_It is sad to see Luke so miserable. He often tells Threepio and I about his feelings._

"Let me guess," Vader said. "He thinks he has a heartless father who ruins his life with endless restrictions?"

_He hasn't put it exactly like that. He did say that he thinks you don't understand how much flying means to him._

"Of course I understand," Vader said, annoyed. "Where does he imagine his interest in flying came from?"

_He feels that if you did understand, you would have said yes, because you would know how passionate he is about flying. He says that you do not remember what it's like to be young._

"Perhaps that fact that I do remember is why I say no," Vader said, staring blankly at the distant planet. He'd been so misguided at fifteen. Both incredibly unsure and dangerously overconfident. Desperate to prove to Obi-Wan that he was worthy to be a Jedi, yet constantly doing things that proved the opposite. He'd endured the embarrassment of being picked up by traffic control on more than one occasion, usually after some stunt where he'd imagined he was helping someone.

Obi-Wan used to rant on for hours on those occasions. And to think Luke thought he had it bad. His son didn't know what a real lecture was. Yet, Obi-Wan had never tried to stop him flying completely, even when he was younger than fifteen. He knew him well enough to know such a thing would have done more harm than good.

The realization caused Vader to release a weary sigh. Perhaps he hadn't been entirely fair with Luke. His desire to fly was strong. Yet his fear for Luke's safety was equally strong. A Sith Lord was supposed to induce fear, not suffer from it, but there was no point denying it.

Just like his mother had been afraid for him. Perhaps even Obi-Wan had been on occasion. But they had been brave. His mother was the bravest person he'd ever known. Now that he was faced with the idea of letting Luke fly, he found himself truly appreciating just how brave she was.

* * *

Luke had to endure several remarks from classmates over the incident with the drugs. Mostly they were from people who hadn't actually witnessed the event and wanted to know if the rumors were true. Luke was at the point of considering posting a sign on his back explaining that he was innocent, but Ben talked him out of it, by making the rightful point that high school gossip rarely lasted more than twenty-four hours.

Aviry had been uncharacteristically silent throughout the afternoon. Luke looked up several times to find her watching him, much to his discomfort. What exactly she was expecting to accomplish by staring at him, he didn't know. He thought about telling her of his conversation with Ophelia, but considering her unwavering belief in his guilt so far, it was doubtful it would be anything but a waste of his breath.

It was a relief when the signal sounded for the end of the last class. Luke didn't waste any time leaving the classroom, lest he have to answer any more questions from curious classmates. Ben and Aviry were close behind.

"I liked the last percentage example," Ben said. "The one about dividing up rooms in a hotel. Did you manage to solve it?"

"I didn't get that far," Luke said.

"How about you, Aviry?" Ben asked, glancing at her.

Aviry looked confused for a moment and then said, "Sorry, I didn't hear your original question."

"It didn't matter," Ben said quickly.

"I'm going to the refresher," Aviry said. "Luke, wait for me in the locker hall."

She then veered off down a corridor to the left.

"She's really preoccupied," Ben remarked.

"She spent the whole afternoon staring at me!" Luke complained.

"You think she's okay?" Ben asked.

Luke gave Ben a look.

"She just doesn't seem like herself, that's all. Maybe she's sick."

"Ben, I know she looks like a teenage girl, but she's not. She doesn't need people to wonder whether or not she's okay. She's just upset because she thinks I'm a drug addict."

"Hmm. Maybe I could talk to her. Tell her that you're innocent."

"I suggested that earlier," Luke said. He and Ben had entered the locker hall at this point, which was largely empty, apart from a couple of older students. It would fill up quickly in the next few minutes. "She said for all she knew, you could be involved as well."

"That's not fair," Ben said, looking hurt. "What did I do?"

"She doesn't know what fair is," Luke said, opening his locker. As he started to unload his datapads, he couldn't help but check his bag to make sure nothing else had been put in there. Ben appeared to be doing the same with his locker.

"Hi, Luke."

Luke glanced up. There was an older girl beside him, who he'd passed on the way in. She had short, curly hair which looked like she'd attempted to dye it red, but hadn't quite succeeded.

"Hi," he said, trying to figure out where he knew this student from. She looked like she might be a senior. Maybe she'd been on the gymnastics team at some point.

"I heard about what happened today."

Luke made a groaning noise and turned back to his locker. Ben had better be right about everyone forgetting tomorrow.

"Sorry they took away your stash," she continued. "They did that to me once. Bunch of nerfs! You know why they do that, right? It's because the teachers know they can sell them in the lower levels for twice what we paid for them."

Luke glanced back at the girl, surprised. This was new.

She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Anyway, I've got some spare stuff if you want it. No charge."

Luke looked around to see if Ben was listening. His friend was right behind him, looking equally surprised.

"Just say no, Luke," Ben said quickly. He sounded nervous.

"Leave it in your locker," she said. "The security droids won't find it there."

"Wait a minute …" Luke said, frowning. Something wasn't right here.

"I can also give you the names of some good contacts," she added.

"He's not interested," Ben said. "Go away."

"No, wait," Luke said to the girl. "What year are you in? I've never seen you before. What's your name?"

"Do you want the stuff or not?" she asked, folding her arms.

"Not," Ben said. "Come on, Luke. Aviry will be back soon."

"No, I think she's here all ready," Luke said, gesturing at the girl.

"What?" Ben stared from Luke to the girl. "Aviry?"

Aviry unfolded her arms and shrugged, clearly realizing the game was up. "It was the hair, wasn't it," she said. "Too outlandish?"

Ben laughed. "Oh boy, you really had me going!"

Luke slammed his locker shut. "You're unbelievable," he said to Aviry.

"And you could learn a few things from Ben," she said. "I noticed you were very hesitant to say no."

"Because I knew something was wrong," Luke said. "People don't come up in the middle of the locker hall and start offering drugs."

"So just where do they offer them, Luke?"

"I don't know!" Luke said. "Stop it! I'm not going to play your game. I don't care what you think about me! You use your shape-shifting ability to try and trick people and then wonder why people think spies are devious and underhanded!"

Other students scattered quickly out of his way as he walked quickly towards the exit.

* * *

Vader found himself watching the power gauge excessively for the last ten minutes of their sentenced time. It had been a long two hours sitting in space, despite Artoo's extensive library of games. But perhaps it had all been necessary, in the grand scheme of things. He was feeling more at peace. When he returned to Coruscant, he and his son may yet reach an understanding about his piloting.

"How are the weapons systems?" Vader asked, as he tested the engine. They were humming in a very pleasant way.

Artoo whistled and beeped, in an excited way. He was clearly more than ready to leave himself.

_The lasers are at full power._

"Good," Vader said. "I have a feeling we will need them."

He gripped the controls and shifted the throttle to full. The atmosphere of Reeni Core rushed up quickly, and Vader studied the scopes as the initial sensor readings began to construct a picture of the world below. The capital, where their troops had landed, was located near the equator, about quarter-way around the planet from his present location.

_We are being scanned._

Artoo's dome swivelled around as their ship entered the upper atmosphere.

_Now we are being hailed._

"Ignore it," Vader said. "We have no time for greetings. They will realize who I am, soon enough."

_Enemy fighters incoming!_

Vader switched on the shields. The semi-circular Reenian fighters soon rushed towards him from the planet below. Vader gripped the trigger, feeling a rush of adrenaline. It had been too long since he'd done this.

He destroyed two in their initial attack, and then he looped around to chase down a third. The pilot was darting around in an attempt to avoid his laser fire, but the craft simply did not have the needed maneuverability. It exploded in a shower of glowing embers. He spun through the wreckage and located the fourth ship on the radar. It was running for the safety of Reeni Core. He followed it all the way down to the surface, and the chase led him to the outskirts of the capital city. The pilot turned off the shields in order to divert power to the engines, but his actions only caused him to die that much faster.

The radar was now clear. He turned the ship around and glanced at the scopes. The capital city would be coming up on the horizon in about twenty seconds. He glanced at the sky and saw the black haze of smoke winding up towards the atmosphere. As soon as he came within visual range, Artoo whistled a warning.

_More fighters incoming. There are laser turrets surrounding the capital._

Through the haze, Vader could see this had once been a beautiful city. Now, every second building was either smoking or reduced to rubble. The Rebellion was responsible for this. Yet another reason why they must be destroyed. They would probably find some way to blame the Empire for this, even though it was undeniably their fault.

* * *

Luke had ignored Aviry during the walk home. When he entered the elevator hub, he noticed she was no longer behind him, but he didn't know when she'd left. A free elevator had just arrived, and he ran to jump inside. Just as the doors were closing, someone rushed up to join him. It was Lev.

"Hi, Luke," he said, with a warm smile. "I was hoping to bump into you at some stage. How are you getting along with Agent Aviry?"

"Don't ask," Luke snapped.

Lev gave him a surprised look. "When I spoke to him yesterday, he said things were going fantastically."

"Yes, _she_ had a lot of fun dancing around the lunchroom singing _Hyperspace Girl_."

Lev laughed out loud. "They're all mildly eccentric over in intelligence. They say it takes a certain kind to be a spy."

"A certain kind of delusional paranoid," Luke suggested. A moment later, a horrible thought occurred to him. He stared at Lev in shock. "You are really Lev, aren't you?"

"Sorry?" Lev said.

"When did we first meet?" Luke asked quickly.

"Luke, what's -"

"Just tell me," Luke said, folding his arms.

"I suppose it was when your father sent me to pick you up from the medcenter."

Luke sighed with relief. "Okay. Good."

"What was that about?"

"The paranoia is starting to rub off on me," Luke explained. "Forget it."

"Are you all right?" Lev asked, sounding truly confused.

Luke thought over everything that had occurred today, from the embarrassment of being targeted by a security droid, to Ophelia's copy room meeting and concluded that he couldn't tell Lev about any of it. He didn't know if Lev would believe he was framed, any more than Aviry, and he didn't want to find out.

"Don't worry," Luke said shortly.

"Whenever you say that, I start feeling worried," Lev said with a grin. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, a package arrived for you today. I had to send Threepio down to retrieve it from security."

"They didn't break it open, did they?" Luke asked.

"No, it didn't cause any problems this time. What is it? Another toy?"

Luke hesitated, while nervously rubbing his chin. "Sure," he said finally. Fortunately, the elevator arrived at Lev's floor, saving him from any further questions

"Show me sometime," Lev said, stepping out. "It's amazing what toys they have now."

"Yeah," Luke said, offering a smile of agreement. When he was once again alone, Luke sighed with relief.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

* * *

The Reenian starfighters that came to meet Vader were already in varying states of damage. One of them exploded when a single shot hit its fuselage. The wreckage rained down on the streets below, causing a dozen smaller explosions to erupt between the buildings. Halfway through the dogfight, Artoo whistled.

_I've located the Imperial forces. They have activated a homing beacon. _

"Good work," Vader said, pulling out of a dive amid the remains of another Reenian starfighter. There was still another one trying to get a lock from behind. He used a building as a momentary shield and then executed a reverse spin to surprise and blast the enemy into another shower of wreckage.

He glanced at the radar and saw Artoo had marked the location of the beacon with a small Imperial logo. It was near the center of the city. On the way over, he blasted a few gun turrets, using careful maneuvering to dodge the incoming laser blasts. As he approached the target location, he saw two AT-ATs standing guard. Now would be the ideal time to broadcast his identification code, if the trail of destroyed Reenian ships hadn't alerted them to his ally status.

Beyond the AT-ATs, the rubble had been stacked up to create a protective bunker. Stormtroopers were standing guard at the wall, but there were no enemies in sight. He brought the ship down to land next to a line of TIE Fighters.

"Stay with the ship," Vader said as he opened the hatch.

Artoo whistled an agreement.

As Vader stepped out onto the ground, three stormtroopers appeared from inside a nearby troop transport and instantly stood to one side. They were joined by a commando and two officers in combat gear, who stared in pure surprise for a moment and then broke into smiles.

"Lord Vader!" They both came to attention and saluted.

Vader didn't think he'd ever seen troops so genuinely happy to see him.

"What is your status?"

The officers quickly assumed a more professional manner, and one of them stepped forward to report. He was fairly young.

"Sir, I'm Lieutenant Tyin. We have sustained heavy losses but have now reached a stalemate with the Reenian rebels. We are currently attempting to break through their defences surrounding the central Bubble Tower, where the president and government ministers are holed up. We believe the master controls for the mine field are contained within that tower." The lieutenant's gaze wandered past Vader and fell on his ship. "But, as you are here, perhaps the starfleet have already found a way to render it inoperable."

"No, Lieutenant, I have come on my own. This city seems largely deserted. Where are the civilians?"

"They've run for their lives, sir, as the energy emissions from the orbital mines are causing radiation poisoning in the Reenians. Without it, we would have undoubtedly been wiped out by now. It has affected a number of our troops as well, but we have managed to procure suitable protection for those reporting symptoms. We suspect the activation of this minefield has had widespread environmental consequences throughout the planet, as there are reports of mass gatherings of refugees in several places."

Vader stretched out with the Force, seeking confirmation of the lieutenant's words. As expected, he sensed a very worrying tremor. A planet's ecosystem and the Force were interdependent. The collapse of one would send the other into turmoil.

"This war must be ended as soon as possible," Vader said. "I sense disaster for this planet if it continues." He stared at the horizon, hearing the distant sounds of laser fire. "I will join the troops at the frontline."

The lieutenant nodded. "Yes, sir."

* * *

It was early the next morning when Luke received an expected chime from his bedroom door. Aviry stood on the other side, back in her black-haired teenage girl appearance.

"Go away," Luke said immediately. "I'm not going to school today."

He moved to close the door, but Aviry held out a hand.

"Luke, wait," she said. "Can we talk for a moment?"

Luke narrowed his eyes. "About what?"

"May I come in?"

She sounded unusually subdued. Luke was curious enough to cooperate, despite his still sore mood over yesterday's events. He stood aside, and Aviry walked past him into the middle of the room. She turned to face him with her hands clasped behind her back.

"I owe you an apology."

"Oh, what made you finally realize that I was innocent?" Luke asked. "Did you run a secret blood test on me while I was sleeping?"

"Well, I did run some scans on your bedroom and locker," she said, "but it was after I listened to that conversation you had with Ophelia that I realized I had made a mistake."

"What?" Luke said, confused. "How did you listen to my conversation with Ophelia?"

"I put a bug in your pocket," she said, gesturing at his school uniform, which lay strewn on the floor. "I didn't get a chance to listen to the recording until last night."

"You did _what_?"

"I admit, I did go a little overboard," she said, looking aside. "I guess I was scared. The thought that I had been with you for an entire day and a half, and not even noticed what was really going on. Even the idea that I could have missed someone sneaking things into your bag. It made me think I had lost my touch. I may have been starting to feel that it was time to retire, but the idea that I was a sub-standard spy really scared me." She looked up at Luke, meeting his gaze. "I'm sorry you had to be a victim of my insecurities." She held out a hand. "I won't say 'friends'. How about we just agree to be 'not enemies'?"

Luke thought for a moment, wondering whether he could really just forgive all these violations of his privacy. Yet her apology was so sincere. There was little point remaining angry when he had to put up with her for who knew how long. He reached out to return her offered handshake, feeling the last of his annoyance fading away. "All right. Not enemies."

"Great," she said, smiling. "Another day of fun-filled school, then?" She paused for a moment, peering at him. "What's that mark on your face?"

"The reason I'm not going," Luke said, moving back to his bed. "Do me a favor and tell the school I'm sick today."

"What happened?" she asked.

"A shaving accident," Luke admitted, reluctantly.

"What were you trying to shave?" she asked, sounding genuinely confused.

"Look, if you're really sorry about yesterday, which you should be, then please go away."

"It's barely noticeable," Aviry said. "I didn't even see it until I looked at you closely."

"It's a big red mark across the side of my face!" Luke said. "Everyone will laugh at me."

"You could always wear a mask," Aviry suggested.

"Yes, I'm sure my father has some spares somewhere," Luke said, rolling his eyes.

"Seriously, you can't not go to school over a little mark on your face. Let's just put a patch on it, and if anyone asks, just say, 'Knife fight. You should see the other guy'. Works every time."

Luke smiled, despite himself. "I guess I could say I was playing with one of my father's lightsabers. I was stupid enough to actually do that once."

"I bet he wasn't happy," Aviry said, returning from the refresher with a bacta patch.

"No, he wasn't," Luke said, standing up so he could see his reflection in the holovid screen. He experimented for a moment and then managed to stick it on straight. The patch sealed against his skin and gradually began to blend in with his skin tone. "I feel sorry about what I've put him through sometimes."

"Well, he does seem to get his revenge," Aviry said.

"Yes," Luke said, giving Aviry a knowing look. "Give me fifteen minutes. I'll meet you in the corridor."

* * *

As soon as Luke saw Ben, on the way to school, he braced himself for some remark about his face. Instead, he seemed more interested in the fact that he and Aviry were on speaking terms once again. The morning passed relatively peacefully - like Ben had predicted, the students had largely forgotten about the events yesterday. It wasn't until they were on their way to the cafeteria for lunch that Ben made some tactless remarks about the scar.

"So you managed to burn your face and leave all the actual hair behind?" Ben asked. "What did you use? I thought those safety laser razors were idiot proof."

"Obviously not," Luke sighed.

"Why not just let the hair grow?" Aviry suggested. "I understand it's a sign of maturity in some cultures."

"As Luke isn't yet mature, he should probably pass on that suggestion," Ben said.

"People do look older when they have facial hair," Luke mused. "Perhaps if I grow a beard, my father will actually notice that I'm not a child and let me get a speeder license."

Aviry burst out laughing. Ben took it more seriously.

"It might work, but honestly I think you might have to wait a while to be able to grow anything that's really noticeable. I've been shaving for almost a year, and I still don't have a lot of hair on my cheeks. Anyway, I'll meet you guys in the cafeteria later. I have a dejarik meet." He handed Luke some databooks. "Watch these for me."

"Sure," Luke said, taking the databooks. "Have fun."

Ben left them alone, and Luke took a turn towards the cafeteria.

"You'll need to do a lot more to convince your father of your maturity than growing hair," Aviry said with a smirk. "Trust me."

"Like what?" Luke said, dumping Ben's belongings on their usual table.

"How about cutting back on the reckless stunts?"

"He does reckless things all the time," Luke said. "Have you seen him fly? Yet no one accuses him of being immature."

"No, I think people value their lives too much to accuse your father of anything. I know I do."

"Do you think I'm immature?" Luke asked, as they joined the food line.

Aviry appeared to be considering the best way to answer.

"You can say yes," Luke prompted.

"I think your maturity is typical for your growth stage. You are a surprisingly typical human sub-adult, considering your unusual upbringing."

"I've only been living here three years," Luke explained. "I spent most of my life on Tatooine, with my aunt and uncle."

"Tatooine?"

"It's in the Outer Rim," Luke explained. "Desert planet. My aunt and uncle owned a moisture farm."

"I suppose your father thought you would be safer there."

"He thought I was dead," Luke said. "And I thought he was dead."

Aviry's curious expression meant Luke knew what they'd be talking about for the rest of the break. It wasn't something he could talk about with just anyone, and it felt surprisingly good to talk about some of it. As they made their way through their lunch, Aviry began telling him more about her own upbringing on Zolan.

"I wasn't much older than you when the Clone Wars reached Zolan," Aviry said. "My parent had made the decision to have me educated offworld, which probably saved my life." She shook her head. "He sacrificed so much for me, it's painful to think about it. I was extremely fortunate to be awarded a scholarship to the First University of Coruscant."

"So how did you end up working for my father?"

Aviry's face took on a slightly pained expression. "I don't know if he'd want me telling you that particular story."

"Come on," Luke said, grinning. "It can't be that bad."

"I'll give you a censored version," Aviry said. "After graduating with a specialization in interplanetary relations, I joined the Imperial Security Bureau recruitment program. After years of office-based investigations and boring supervised reconnaissance missions, I was called into my manager's office for an evaluation meeting. It was full of flattery and praise. He then said I'd been chosen for a very special mission."

"What did you have to do?"

"Spy on your father."

Luke frowned in confusion. "Why?"

Aviry shrugged. "Politics, mostly. Power struggles. If I'd been a little wiser, I'd have realized straight away they were simply trying to have me killed in the cleanest possible way."

"Killed? Why did they want to kill you?"

"When a tree in a forest grows higher than the rest, some people feel the need to chop it down. The management perceived my shape-shifting abilities as a threat. Being young and naïve, and yes, a little arrogant, I didn't see any of this. I thought I was such a brilliant field agent I was being trusted with an important mission." She shook her head. "Instead I was a mere rookiee in way over his head. It took your father about seven minutes to realize I was an ISB agent."

"Seven minutes?"

"I know. Embarrassing. Anyway, then he ... he started doing what he would normally do upon discovering an ISB agent pretending to be someone else."

Luke had a fair idea what Aviry meant.

"As I came face to mask with my own impending death, I was so frightened, I lost control of my shape-shifting ability and reverted back to my default form. It surprised your father enough to release me. He then said that I must have considerable talent for my superiors at ISB to send me on a suicide mission. One brief converation later, and I was recruited." She smiled. "So my near destruction turned into the greatest career move any agent could hope for."

Luke shook his head. "I can't believe your own bosses tried to kill you. Aren't you all on the same side?"

Aviry smiled. "So you'd think."

She was followed by the signal for the end of lunch. Luke glanced at the chronometer in surprise. "I wonder where Ben is? His dejarik meet is usually over well before now. Maybe we should go and find him."

"I'll go," Aviry said. "You go on to class, so you're not late. Where's the meeting room?"

"Beside the library," Luke supplied. "I'll be in Room 32. Science."

"Very well."

Aviry disappeared out the doors. Luke collected Ben's datapads and soon followed the stream of students leaving the cafeteria. He didn't think anything more of Ben's disappearance, until they were ten minutes into the science class, and there was still no sign of him or Aviry. Science was one of Ben's favourite subjects. He wouldn't miss it without a very good reason.

When B-60, the school receptionist droid, entered the classroom, Luke knew it would be with a message for him. As expected, it was a summons to the school office. The entire class stared at him the entire distance from his desk to the door, obviously all thinking he was in some kind of trouble. Right now, he didn't care. As soon as he and B-60 were in the corridor, he moved quickly to catch up to the droid.

"What is it?" he asked. "Is Ben sick? Is he okay?"

"I was only ordered to deliver the message," B-60 said. "Not to converse with you."

"Come on," Luke said. "Please?"

B-60 twisted his head around so his photoreceptors were facing the opposite wall. Surprisingly, his body still moved in a straight line.

"Remember that time I helped solder you back together after that level one class played dodge ball with you?" Luke asked.

After a few seconds, B-60 rotated his head back. "Did you have to remind me? All right. I believe your friend Ben was assaulted by that droid-hating meatsack, Tak."

"What?" Luke started to run.

"Stop running," B-60 called. "It is forbidden! I will be forced to inform a teacher."

Luke sighed and obligingly returned to a hasty walk. He could do without any more run-ins with the school administration. "Is Ben all right?"

"From what I saw, Tak came off worse," B-60 said, sounding bored. "My predictability assessment program must be malfunctioning because I would have assigned low odds to that outcome. Regardless, they are both in violation of school policy. I hope they are expelled. But given the track record at this school, the odds of that are 658 to 1."

"What's Ben ever done to you?" Luke said, surprised.

"Nothing. The less students the better. Would you like to hear all the late excuses I had to listen to this morning?"

Fortunately, they arrived at the administration area before B-60 reached the end of his list. Luke was about to walk on ahead, when he felt the presence of a very familiar person. He followed B-60 into the front office and found Ben's father waiting at the desk. His expression was a mix of worry and impatience.

"Luke!" he said, his eyes widening at the sight of him. "Is Ben all right? Where is he?" He made to move around the desk to join Luke, but B-60 raised a hand.

"Stop. Please state your name and purpose. You will require a visitor's pass."

Ben's father looked like he was about to lose his temper.

"Believe me, it's quicker to just do what he says," Luke said, hastily. "Ben's all right, as far as I know."

Once B-60 allowed Ben's father through, he followed Luke down the corridor into the administration offices. There were two business-attired women sitting on either side of a door halfway down. One had a comlink headpiece, and the other was holding a holographic day planner. Luke could sense Ben's presence inside, so he stopped and moved to enter. The women didn't look at them as they walked through the door.

Inside, Tak was seated on one side of the table, holding an ice pack against his head. A man that Luke could only assume was Tak's father was standing over him, wearing an expensive high fashion suit and white gloves. Ben and Aviry sat on the other side. The principal and vice principal were seated at the head of the table, a few datapads spread out in front of them.

"Ben!"

Ben's father shifted past Luke, and Ben stood up to greet his father.

"You didn't need to leave work, Dad," Ben said, sounding a little embarrassed.

"It's no problem," his father replied. "Were you hurt?"

"What happened?" Luke said, glancing over at Tak. He could see what B-60 had meant about Tak being the worse for wear.

"Who are you?" Tak's father asked, his eyes roving around Luke's face. When no recognition was forthcoming, his gaze narrowed and became a glare. "Were you involved in the assault on my son?"

Before Luke could respond, Aviry attracted his attention by dragging out the chair next to her.

"Sit down," Aviry whispered. "Clearing up this little incident seems to be taking longer than I anticipated. I'll need you to stay here until this is sorted out."

"What happened?" Luke repeated, not bothering to sit.

"Who is this boy?" Tak's father said, glancing in the principal's direction. "Another ill-brought up pleb you insist on exposing my son to?"

"Dad!" Tak protested. He sounded nervous.

"He wasn't involved," Aviry said. "Please, disregard his presence."

"I'm involved now," Luke said, putting his hands on the table and leaning forward towards Tak. "What did you do, you Hutt slime?"

"Luke, sit down!" Aviry repeated.

"Nothing!" Tak replied, shifting back from the table. "Your cousin was just playing hard-to-get."

"_What_ did you just call my son?" Tak's father demanded.

"Gentlemen, please!" the principal protested.

"It was more completely uninterested," Aviry clarified.

"She was hanging around with that weed," Tak pointed at Ben with his free hand. "To try and make me jealous!"

"We were walking along having a private conversation," Aviry explained, "then Tak ran up behind Ben, took his belongings and threw them on the ground."

"He dropped them!" Tak protested. "It wasn't me."

"I then told Tak to pick everything up and apologize to Ben, or he would regret it," Aviry continued.

"Then you hit him?" Luke said, staring back at Aviry in surprise.

"Of course not. He retaliated by pushing Ben into the wall -"

"He fell!" Tak interrupted.

" - and then turned on me, trying to pin me against the wall. Ben, bravely I might add, distracted him by throwing a squashed fruit skin at his head. Tak then tried to head butt Ben, but I pulled him out of the way, and Tak hit the wall head first. I'm surprised he isn't concussed."

"I don't think he has a brain to damage," Luke suggested.

"Enough!" Tak's father shouted. "I won't tolerate another word of this! That boy -" He pointed a white-gloved finger at Ben, "- assaulted my son. Now I don't give this school the amount of money I do to have to put up with such insults! He's an uncouth thug that should never have been admitted in the first place! How many times have I told you people? You can't mix rodents with fireflies!"

"Who are you calling a rodent?" Luke said, feeling his temper starting to wear thin. Aviry yanked on his arm, trying to pull him down into the seat.

"The manner of an Outer Rim yokel, yet the arrogance of Coruscant nobility," Tak's father said, staring at Luke. "Who do you imagine yourself to be, boy?"

"Leave him alone, Dad," Tak said, fearfully. "He's Lord Vader's son."

Luke had to wonder how his father managed to have such influence when he was so far away. The sound of his name caused the previously noisy room to fall silent. It was a good twenty seconds before Tak's father responded.

"Lord Vader?" he said, clearly surprised. He glanced at the principal. "Is this how you operate here? Attempting to bully me into silence?"

"Luke's parentage is not a consideration here," the principal said. "He wasn't even at the scene."

"And you were just suggesting you should be treated differently because you give lots of money to the school!" Luke scoffed.

"So I should!" Tak's father replied. "When it comes to lazy sponges who coast through life on the charity of hardworking people." He gestured at Ben. "My son, who has paid his own way many times over, should be given due respect."

Before Luke could respond, the principal interrupted.

"Perhaps if Ben apologized to your son," she suggested. "The school will increase security patrols in the corridors to ensure this doesn't happen again."

"That sounds reasonable," Ben's father said, glancing at Ben. "I would also like to offer my own apologies."

"What?" Luke said, unable to believe what he was hearing. "This wasn't Ben's fault!"

"Not good enough," Tak's father said to the principal. "I want the boy expelled." There was something about his tone that said he was used to always having his way.

"Sir, I must ask you to consider our position," the vice principal said. "Ben has a spotless record. I am sure you are aware of the numerous complaints we have received about your son from other parents. Please, I beg you, accept his apology and we will all move on."

"Don't apologize," Luke said, pointing behind Aviry at Ben. "It's that sleemo who should be apologizing."

Ben's father was shaking his head at Luke.

"Numerous complaints," Tak's father scoffed. "Jealous vindictive insults. An apology isn't good enough. Either you expel that boy, or I go to the media. And I assure you, they will not let this issue rest. I am friends with all the HoloNet producers on this planet."

"That won't be necessary," Ben's father said, a note of fear in his voice. "I will withdraw Ben from this school myself. Please - I ask you as a parent yourself - don't expose my son to the media."

"You are clearly an intelligent man," Tak's father said. "Very well. It is settled then. He'll leave immediately."

"No!" Luke said. "This isn't right."

"I will take my son home to recover from this violent assault," Tak's father said, gesturing for Tak to stand up. "I expect you to ensure better levels of security in the future."

He herded Tak out of the room, while Luke watched in disbelief. Once he was gone, the principal stood up.

"Captain Jarnet, we will provide you with the appropriate forms. My apologies once again for this incident. We will regret losing Ben. Your son's presence at this school was the only thing keeping our GPA within the top ten percent of this planet."

Ben didn't smile. He'd been staring blankly throughout the conversation.

"I can't believe you're doing this," Luke said, struggling not to shout at Ben's father.

"Luke, please try and understand," Ben's father said, standing up. "I know how weak my attitude must seem to you, but that is the way things have to be. Tak's father is rich beyond the dreams of mortals. He could have Ben and I disappear overnight at the snap of a finger. The HoloNet producers aren't likely to be his friends - they'll owe him millions in gambling debts through his casinos. He could destroy our lives in a matter of hours."

Luke was silent as he took in the words. There was a better solution. There must be. So why couldn't he think of it?

"Don't worry," Ben's father said to Ben, patting his son on the back. "We'll find you a new school. You and Luke will still see each other. Perhaps you should go and collect your belongings while I fill in the forms."

Ben stood up. "All right," he said, sounding resigned to the situation. Luke could tell from his expression that he was burying his disappointment to avoid making his father feel worse.

"We'll help," Aviry said, standing up and giving Luke a gentle push towards the door.

Once they were alone in the corridor, Luke felt his frustration reach breaking point.

"This is all your fault!" he said, turning on Aviry. "I told you that look would only cause trouble!"

"Luke!" Ben said, in a shocked tone. "Is isn't her fault that Tak is an out-of-control nerf with a trillionaire father!"

"No, Luke's right," Aviry said, looking down. "I should have restrained myself. For a spy, I have a problem with being inconspicuous."

"You can say that again," Luke grumbled, under his breath. "What are we going to do? We can't let this happen."

Aviry sighed. "I really don't know. It's amazing how inconsequential I was to that discussion. Tak's father didn't even cotton on to the fact that I, being your cousin, must also be a relative of Lord Vader. I never realized how society regarded young human girls before."

"It's not society," Ben said. "It's just people like Tak's father."

"If my father had been there, it would have been a different story," Luke said, thinking. "Maybe I could convince him to help. When do you think he'll be back from Reeni Core?"

"Could be weeks," Aviry said.

"Blast! He can't do much from there."

"I don't know if he would help, even if he was here," Ben said. "He hates me."

"Not true!" Luke said. Secretly, he wasn't so certain. His father had a variety of nicknames for Ben, none of them flattering.

"Why does he hate you?" Aviry asked, glancing at Ben.

"You know what they say about first impressions. Lord Vader was having a meeting with some important people," Ben explained, "and Luke and I stumbled out of a trash compactor. That was the first time he saw me."

"A trash compactor?" Aviry said, confused. "What were you doing in a trash compactor? Yuk!"

"I'm sure he doesn't even remember that," Luke said.

"He hates me, Luke," Ben said, firmly. "Face it."

"I'll tell you what he does hate," Aviry said. "Men like Tak's father. He'd have gone down gasping in moments if your father had been there. Especially when he found out he owns casinos."

"I don't want anyone killed," Luke said, frowning.

"Well, I for one wouldn't be disappointed if Tak's father met with an unfortunate accident," Aviry said. "Perhaps I should arrange it."

Luke gave Aviry a disbelieving look.

"Hey, it's how we do things on Coruscant," Aviry said.

"No, Luke's right, no killing," Ben said, sounding scared.

"I wasn't serious," Aviry said. "Stars, look at your faces! All right. What's Plan B?"

She stared at both of them, expectantly.

"Speaking of the way things are done on Coruscant," Ben said. "Maybe we could bribe him."

"Bribery? You?" Luke said, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm desperate here!"

"Do either of you have any credits?" Aviry asked.

Luke pulled one ten credit coin out of his pocket. "That's it."

"I don't even have that," Ben said. "I spent my allowance on a new viewscreen."

"I'm sorry, but I think bribery is most decidedly off the list," Aviry said.

"Well, you must have some credits, right?" Luke asked.

"Rolling in them," Aviry said. "But you'd need to own a planet to have the means to bribe Tak's father."

Ben stared miserably at the ground for a moment and then reached for his locker keycard. "I guess that's it then."

"It's not it," Luke insisted, as Ben started loading his belongings into a bag. "We'll find a way out of this! I'll convince my father to help."

"Thanks for wanting to try, Luke," Ben said, giving him a small smile. He looked around the room for a moment. "When I came this morning, I never imagined this would be my last day here. I never realized it before, but I actually quite like this school. Why didn't I just run away when Tak showed up, like any sane person would have?"

"This isn't the last you've seen of this place," Luke said.

They all turned when they heard footsteps, and Ben's father entered the locker room.

"It's all done," he said, shortly. "I'll be waiting in the reception area."

"Wait, Dad," Ben said. "I'm finished here." He closed the empty locker and glanced at Luke. "Can you download all my work off the school network? They'll probably disable my access before tonight. Say goodbye to the teachers for me. Oh - and stop by the dejarik club next week and tell them I'm sorry I won't be joining them for the regional champs."

Luke nodded. "I'll take care of it."

"Thanks, buddy." Ben turned to Aviry. "Bye, Aviry. Thanks for making life interesting around here these last few days."

"I did my best," she said, reaching out to shake his hand. "Take care of yourself."

He nodded, and then turned to follow after his father. Luke stared after him, until Aviry pulled him away.

"Come on. Let's go back to class."

"I don't want to go back!" Luke said. "I want to do something about this. I should start a protest."

"Any stirring you did around here would only put Ben at risk," Aviry said. "Tak's father might reverse his decision to expose this incident to the media."

Aviry was right, and it made Luke more frustrated than ever. How could you defeat someone who was using your friends as leverage?

"Why are you never here when I need you?" Luke complained, staring at the ceiling.

"Excuse me?" Aviry said. "I'm standing right beside you."

"I was talking to my father," Luke said. He paused for a moment, realizing how mentally unstable that sounded. "And … uh … he can't hear me, anyway, so let's just go to class."

"You really think he'd help?" Aviry asked, as they walked into the corridor.

"No," Luke said. "He'd probably say -" Luke switched to an imitation of his father's voice. "I have no interest in hearing about the misfortune of your pathetic excuse for a friend." Luke sighed. "Then he'd probably launch into a lecture about the dangers of friendship. He's against it on principle."

* * *

The building that housed the Reeni Core government was shaped like a twisting vine growing towards the sky, with giant circular protrusions at regular intervals on the way up. Hence the 'Bubble Tower' nickname. Vader was very pleased with their progress. His presence had boosted the morale of the exhausted troops. That, combined with the terror the sight of him induced in the enemy, resulted in a speedy advance on the streets surrounding the Bubble Tower.

Before taking the building, Vader briefed the squads that had been selected for this all-important task.

"You may shoot to kill," Vader said, addressing the troops who were gathered loosely around him amongst the smoke and rubble. "The people of Reeni Core have no use for this government now. But President Gysin is _mine_."

It was more than revenge that motivated that particular order. The controls for the mine field were undoubtedly secured with codes only the president would know. He would rip them from his mind if he had to.

The stormtrooper captain stepped forward. "Sir, how will we know which one is the president?"

The Reenians had a humanoid form, but their skin had the stark appearance of black and white horizontal stripes. It had evolved as a camouflage against the native predators. It also had the effect of making them difficult for those of other species to tell apart.

"In my experience, the leader of a planet is usually the first one seen running for the door," Vader said. "If you are unsure, set your weapons for stun."

He glanced up at the sky above the building, seeing it buzzing with TIE Fighters. The sky and ground were well guarded to ensure there could be no escape for the criminals inside.

He signalled the stormtrooper captain that it was time to go. He responded with a salute, and then turned to his men.

"Squad Delta, with me!"

The troopers sprung into action without a moment's hesitation. They had been fighting almost non-stop for days now, which made this chance of ending the war all the more appealing.

Vader's hand flexed around the grip of his lightsaber. It was about time it had some exercise.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

* * *

That night, Luke found himself standing in an elevator that currently did not have a destination. He was dressed warmly in black clothes, complete with an outdoor overtunic. A backpack containing a few useful supplies sat beside him on the floor. The reason the elevator was not moving was that he couldn't decide whether to go through with his plan or not.

He knew he wasn't allowed to leave. He'd have a very hard time justifying this as an essential purpose, if his father even gave him such an opportunity before sentencing him to life in the detention center. But he had to do this. A friend in need outweighed everything else.

Luke reached up and pressed the button for the exit floor. As it began to travel down, Luke leaned back against the wall and rubbed his forehead. His father was always saying he didn't think about things before doing them. Well, he'd had all afternoon to think about this, and nothing he came up with had come close to changing his mind. He was the one responsible for what had happened to Ben. If he hadn't provoked his father into assigning Aviry to watch him, none of this would have happened.

The elevator doors slid open, and Luke made a quick assessment of what he was up against. There were a few guards dotted around, assigned to the evening security detail. They wouldn't bother him as technically he wasn't leaving the building yet. The only guards who might be a problem would be at the transit corridor exit. But there was a good chance they didn't even know he was grounded.

This all would have been far easier if he'd just taken one of the speeders in the hangar bay, but he decided there was no need to add fuel to what would already be a very angry fire.

Luke walked towards the exit, trying to project confidence. None of the guards gave him a second glance as he entered the corridors. So far, so good.

When he reached the exit corridor, he stopped and looked around for a moment. There was a stormtrooper walking the other way, but the corridor was otherwise clear. The two guards at the end were looking in the opposite direction. If he moved quickly, he could probably get past them before they even noticed he was there. They rightly expected any danger to be coming from outside the palace, rather than inside.

He moved to the right side of the corridor as he walked past the stormtrooper, who had stopped and was nonchalantly studying the artwork on the wall. Luke continued forward for a moment and then froze. Something wasn't right here … maybe this was what his father meant when he said there was a tremor in the Force.

He glanced back and stared at the nearby stormtrooper. A second later, he knew the game was up.

"Aviry," he groaned.

"I knew it," the Aviry-stormtrooper said, turning to face him.

"Knew what?" Luke asked.

"That you were Force sensitive. I had my suspicions after you picked me out last time, but now I'm sure."

"Maybe you were just doing a very bad impression of a stormtrooper," Luke said. "They're not big on art."

"Or maybe you are your father's son in more ways than one, young Luke," Aviry said, pointing at his chest with a black-gloved finger.

Luke shrugged. "So what brings you out here spying on me this evening?"

"Oh, I just had a feeling you might try something like this," Aviry said, reaching up to guide him back down the corridor. He let his hand drop when Luke offered no resistance. "You should have guessed I'd have all the corridor guards alerting me if you tried to leave."

"I can't say I thought it out that much."

"So, tell me," Aviry said, stopping now they were in a more private location. "What, exactly, is your plan?"

The question had Luke momentarily stumped. Aviry sounded genuinely interested.

"I … um … I was going to talk to Tak's father," Luke said, facing Aviry. "There's a fashion show on tonight at one of his Imperial City casinos, the Galactic Jewel, and the HoloNet said he'd be there. I'm going to catch him on the way in and talk him out of what he's doing to Ben."

It sounded pathetic now that Aviry made him say it out loud. He couldn't see Aviry's expression through the helmet, but he had a feeling he was thinking the same thing.

"Well, you can't just expect me to sit around here and let someone do this to my friend!" Luke said, folding his arms. "I'm going. You're going to have to lock me up if you want to stop me. Go ahead and tell my father if you have to. I'll deal with that later."

"Luke," Aviry said calmly, "I know you want to help your friend. But I think we both know that you have more chance of making the Kessel Run on a hoverboard than convincing Mr Biyal Staneer to change his mind out of the goodness of his heart. Before you get anywhere near Tak's father, his security guards will use you for target practice."

Luke turned away, making a noise of frustration.

"But there's a chance - a small chance - that I can do something," Aviry continued, shifting so he was back in Luke's line of vision. "You're not the only one who's been making plans."

Luke grinned. "Why didn't you say something earlier?"

"I didn't want to get your or Ben's hopes up needlessly."

"So what's the new plan? Let's go already! You can pilot."

"The new plan is that you stay here," Aviry said. "I will let you know how it went when I return."

"What? I'm not staying here while you -"

Aviry raised a gloved hand. "Luke. What do you think your father would do to me if he found out I had purposely led you into danger?"

Luke hesitated. He hadn't thought of that.

"I do value being among the living, despite my profession," he continued. "I want you to promise me that you'll stay here."

"But -"

"I know," Aviry said. "This goes against the Luke Skywalker operating manual. But it's how it has to be."

"All right," Luke sighed. "I promise I'll stay here. But what if you don't come back?"

"Then it's been a pleasure knowing you," he said, giving Luke's shoulder a light squeeze. "I know the future of the Empire is safe in your hands."

"That's surprisingly trusting of you," Luke said, raising an eyebrow.

"I better go change," Aviry said, walking away.

"Oh, very funny," Luke said, rolling his eyes at the pun.

* * *

Vader stepped over the body of a stormtrooper as he entered the control room at the very top of the tower. It had been a long fight to reach this room. The two stormtroopers who had entered ahead of him were already firing at the Reenian resistance. Vader raised a hand, ripping blasters out of the hands of the two nearest fighters. A third one started pumping blaster bolts at Vader, which he deflected with his lightsaber. He was careful to deflect the shots into the walls, as any one of these enemies could be the president.

One of the stormtroopers fired off a stun blast which felled a Reenian standing at a nearby comm terminal. Two more troopers entered the room behind him, making quick work of the remaining resistance.

Vader glanced over the bodies as he strode past them. All of them were dressed in the uniform of the Reenian security guard. When he entered the main part of the control room, a man jumped out from behind a nearby terminal. Vader stepped back and chopped the weapon out of his hands. He then switched off his lightsaber and lifted the man by the throat.

"Where is the president?" he demanded.

There was no response, so Vader squeezed harder.

"Tell me!"

The man's only response was to cry out in pain, desperately trying to loosen Vader's grip. Vader was just about to crush the life in his hand completely, when a nearby voice spoke.

"I'm here."

Vader tossed the man aside to see who the speaker was. What he saw caused his anger to subside, momentarily replaced with surprise. It was a child. Well, perhaps a little older than a child. A teenager, like Luke.

Behind him, one of the stormtroopers made a scoffing noise.

"You're the president? A kid!"

"No wonder their planet is in chaos!" a second one added.

Vader raised a hand to silence them. He was about to address the boy, when the Force alerted him to a sudden danger. He glanced at the floor, and saw the Reenian had pulled a blaster out of his boot.

"Hin, no!" the president cried, stepping forward with both hands raised in warning.

Vader didn't bother to give the man a chance to heed the warning. He quickly flicked his lightsaber on switch, and the blade glowed red across his field of vision. He then sliced off the man's arm. For good measure, he sliced the rest of him in half as well.

He turned back to the president, whose eyes were wide with horror.

"Your planet is on the verge of ruin," he said. "Thanks to your foolish rebellion. You will shut down the mine field _immediately_."

Despite his intention to sound menacing, the words came out in a tone he often used when chastising Luke. Surprisingly, it had an immediate effect. The boy tore his eyes away from the corpse on the floor, and ran over to a nearby monitor.

The stormtroopers moved to flank the president, wary of a sudden attack after the incident with the now-corpse on the floor. But Vader could sense no danger. He switched off his lightsaber and came forward to watch.

The process took several minutes. Once the final code had been entered, the president turned to Vader.

"It's done," he said in a distant voice. He stared at the floor. "Do what you like with me. I only have one request. Please, spare my people."

One of the troopers made a quiet noise of disbelief through his helmet. Vader shared the sentiment.

"Spare your people?" he repeated. "_You_ started this war. You nearly destroyed your planet with your illegal mine field. You have the deaths of thousands of _your_ people on your hands, and you ask me to spare them? The Empire always had the best interests of Reeni Core at heart. Pity no one will say the same for you."

"I didn't know it would be like this," he whispered, still staring dejected at the floor. His voice sounded like he was on the verge of tears.

Vader almost groaned at the words. In another minute, the boy would claim this entire thing had been an accident, and he would start lecturing in earnest out of pure instinct. He was supposed to kill this boy. He'd all but promised the Emperor he would. Yet he knew if he was going to do so, he would have done it already. It was ridiculous, really. He'd killed people younger than this one before.

"Take him away," Vader said, pushing the boy towards the waiting troopers. "Keep him under guard. I will contact the ship and report our victory."

"Yes, sir!"

The troopers quickly led the president away, and Vader turned to stare at the row of computers, looking for a comlink. The signal was connected the moment he sent it, much to his relief. He might have found the anger he needed to kill the president if the communications had not been restored.

Instead of a bridge comm officer, Admiral Sinia answered the call personally.

"Lord Vader! We have just detected the deactivation of the mine field."

"The battle is won, Admiral. Send reinforcements to assist with the restoration of order." He paused for a moment and then said, "I will be returning to the ship immediately. You will assume command of this operation, Admiral."

"Yes, sir," the admiral said, sounding awed. "Immediately, sir."

Vader disconnected the call and then stood staring at the monitor for a moment. He should be feeling pleased at their relatively easy victory. Instead he felt as empty as the screen in front of him. This idea of roaming the galaxy, fixing one planet at a time, used to hold a certain satisfaction. Now all he felt was an almost irresistible urge to return to Coruscant as soon as possible.

Luke needed his father. Teaching him to fly would give them a reason to spend time together that could only benefit the both of them. That traffic diving foolishness would never have happened if he'd paid more attention in the first place. His son was a young man, and like all young men, he made mistakes. He should feel grateful his mistakes didn't involve the ruin of entire planets.

It wasn't his normal practice to leave so soon after a battle. There was still a chance of the population rising up again in rebellion. Now that Reeni Core was once again accessible to the galaxy at large, Rebels from other planets would travel here in a vain attempt to spread their destructive chaos. But those minor annoyances could be easily taken care of by the admiral and Governor Tarkin, if the latter chose to remain here.

Vader turned to leave the control room, once again having to step over several bodies. Two stormtroopers had remained outside the room as guards. The elevators were a short distance away, and he rode the nearest one down to the ground level. The stormtrooper captain was waiting in the lobby as he stepped out. He was splattered with blood and dirt, but otherwise appeared in good condition. His mood, however, was even lower than Vader's.

"What is it?" Vader asked as the trooper approached.

"Sir," he said. "I'm afraid I have some bad news."

He gestured to the main entrance of the building, and Vader soon understood. A cluster of troops stood around the corpse of a young Reenian. President Gysin. A medical droid was treating a stormtrooper beside him.

"They were taking him to a troop transport to lock him in a cell," the captain explained, "when we were set upon by some Reenian Rebels who had disguised themselves as stormtroopers. They managed to blast the president before we took them down." He paused for a moment and then added, "They didn't even aim at us. They were screaming the word 'traitor'."

"It is of no consequence," Vader said, to the captain's visible relief. "He was of no real use to us anyway. I was merely holding him until we were sure that all the planet's defence mechanisms had been deactivated."

"Yes, sir. With your permission, I will arrange an investigation to ensure there are no more Reenians hiding in our ranks."

"Permission granted," Vader said. "I have contacted the _Storm's Eye_ and reinforcements are on their way. I will be returning to the ship. You and your men have done well, Captain. Pass on my compliments to those under your command."

"We owe our victory to you, sir." The captain saluted and then marched off towards the temporary field station. Vader stared after him and then picked up his personal comlink. Unlike the ship, Artoo took several seconds to respond. He whistled in a questioning tone.

"Artoo, meet me outside the tower. We are returning to the ship."

* * *

Luke was awakened from the midst of a dream about flying to the sound of his bedroom doorcom. He sat up and found the holovid was still turned on and he wasn't wearing pajamas. A moment later, he remembered Aviry, and stood up quickly. When he opened the door, he thought it was his father for a moment, until he rubbed his eyes and managed to focus. Too short, and last time he checked, his father didn't have horns.

"Aviry?" Luke said, sleepily.

"May I come in?"

Luke could sense he was bubbling with excitement.

"Sure," Luke said, stepping aside. He looked Aviry up and down as he walked past. He was in the Zabrak form he'd mentioned before, and dressed in black.

"What happened?" Luke asked, as he pushed the button to close the door.

Aviry turned to face him. "All that stuff I said the other day, about wanting to settle down? Forget it. Tell me, is there anyone else at your school whose middle name is slimeball? I want to dig some more dirt!"

"So does this mean Ben doesn't have to leave the school?" Luke said, bemused.

Aviry nodded, and then sat down on the bed.

"So what happened?" Luke said. "Did you find Tak's father all right?"

"Oh yes, I found him. I found him and Senator Gritax. I also found a very large amount of credits changing hands." Aviry tapped one of his pockets. "And according to his computer records, not the first time either! Naughty, naughty."

"How did you get out of there alive?" Luke asked, impressed.

"After Senator Gritax left, Staneer opened up his computer, and realized something was going on, because I'd purposely left it open on some very interesting documents. He called immediately for a guard, but as his guards were having a snooze, I walked in. He pulled out his blaster."

"And?" Luke said. "Don't stop!"

"I said 'before you shoot, you should know I just sent the evidence of your numerous grafts to my employer. Killing me will only make things worse for you.' He said, 'What low life scum do you work for?'. You should have seen his face when I said Lord Vader! The light finally came on in his incredibly slow brain. He'll never underestimate you again."

Luke wondered if he really wanted someone like Mr Staneer as a personal enemy.

"Then I laid out my terms. I'd delete all evidence of the graft, and forget everything I saw tonight, if he'd personally insist that Ben was reinstated at the school. I stood by while he called the school and left a message with B-60. The droid is going to pass his message onto the principal tomorrow morning."

"I hope so," Luke said, hoping B-60 wouldn't accidentally-on-purpose forget.

"Then I destroyed what he thought was my recording of his little bribe in front of him, and we parted on amicable terms." Aviry pulled a tiny data storage unit out of his pocket. "It's all still here of course."

Luke shook his head. "Of course. So sad how people think spies are devious."

"Oh, forget all that wishy washy stuff I said about being an intelligence field operative. I love being a spy!"

"I'm glad," Luke said. "But one last request. Don't give that recording to my father. I don't want to have any role in Tak being an orphan."

"Hmmm, I suppose you're right. I might mention to the Imperial Security Bureau that someone should keep an eye on Senator Gritax, though." Aviry shook his head. "I hate corrupt senators. They're a relic from Republic days. Anyway, I have a favor to ask of you."

"Me?"

"According to the HoloNet, the Imperial flag is flying in the capital on Reeni Core. I have been informed that your father is returning to Coruscant tomorrow."

"Really?" Luke said. "So soon?"

"Will you beg him to reassign me? This taste of victory tonight has made me hungry for a real assignment."

"Is that a favor for you or for me?" Luke said, grinning.

"Make sure you put your soul into it," Aviry said, standing up. "There's no shame in getting down on your knees. I'll tell him you've behaved impeccably these last few days, and hopefully he won't sense that I'm lying."

"He wouldn't believe you, even if you were telling the truth," Luke said.

Aviry smiled. "Parents, huh? You should get some sleep."

"Thanks for saving Ben from having to find another school," Luke said. "We owe you one."

"Anytime. I mean that." He grinned at Luke from the doorway. "And to think you told me your life was boring!"

* * *

Vader could remember a time when he used to hate returning to the Imperial capital after being away. He found the city suffocating compared to the vast expanse of space. Yet in recent years he found a certain pleasure in that first sight of the dull grey orb. Perhaps Luke's presence made it feel more like a home.

It was mid morning when he touched down in the hangar bay. Artoo whistled happily, seeing Threepio waiting nearby. Vader looked around, expecting to see Luke up to his normal weekend activity of maintaining the varied array of ships and speeders. His son was nowhere to be seen.

Vader leaned back and stretched out with the Force, checking on his son's whereabouts. Judging by the peaceful, cloudy sensation on the other end of their bond, his son had not yet chosen to get out of bed. It was late, even by his usual weekend standards. No matter. It would allow him to hear a report from Agent Aviry without interruption. He had heard nothing from his spy during his time away. He could only hope that meant everything had gone well.

Threepio and Artoo stopped chatting as Vader approached across the hangar bay floor. Artoo was no doubt presenting an exaggerated version of all their adventures.

"Welcome back, sir," Threepio said, in greeting.

"Threepio, inform Agent Aviry that I have returned," Vader said. "Tell him to meet me in the conference room. I wish to hear his report."

"Yes, sir."

Vader walked on towards the elevators. If Aviry's report was positive, then he would be reassigned immediately. Before leaving for Coruscant, he had retrieved the plans for the mine field, including some very interesting information about its origins. The main concern was that Reeni Core was not the only planet sitting on this dangerous method of defense. Aviry's experience with the Rebellion would be required to eliminate the possibility.

When he reached his personal floor, he checked once again to see if Luke had decided to rejoin the world. His son still appeared to be dreaming. Lucky for some. The stack of work that had mounted up while he was otherwise engaged would keep him busy for weeks. He might as well get started on it now.

After half an hour of uninterrupted work in the conference room, Vader sensed Aviry's arrival. His spy entered the room, and came to attention on the other side of the table. Vader noted that he seemed surprisingly energized for one who had spent the last three days trying to keep Luke in line.

"My lord," he said, in greeting.

"Agent Aviry," Vader said, standing up and walking around to join him. "I trust you managed to retain your sanity after the experience of monitoring my son."

Aviry smiled. "Yes, sir. It was an enlightening experience."

"Did he give you any trouble?"

"No, sir. It was a pleasure to share in some small part of his life." Aviry produced a datapad. "As you requested, I have made note of what I learned about your son during the last three days. Some points are trivial, but you may be interested, regardless."

"Good work," Vader said, accepting the datapad. "What was your overall impression of him?"

Aviry looked aside for a moment, and then once again met his gaze.

"He is a bright young man, who faces the many challenges in his life with bravery beyond his years. Yet, he wavers between insecurity and confidence. At times, he can be very unsure. For example, he told me he feels you are always disappointed in him, sir. I reassured him otherwise."

"Luke likes to take refuge in self-pity," Vader said. "I have read it is common among teenagers."

"He has reached a point in his life where he is beginning to realize how complex adulthood can be. Especially when it comes to relationships with females."

Vader almost choked at the words. "Females?"

"I have explained in more detail in my report," Aviry said, hastily. "It is nothing to worry about, I assure you."

Vader relaxed a fraction. He doubted Aviry knew exactly what a parent was likely to worry about, but he had to assume he would realize if it was something serious.

"Sir, when I volunteered for this assignment, I told you the situation on Reeni Core had left me feeling discouraged," Aviry continued. "That is no longer the case. Your son carries inside him the gift to inspire others. He has certainly inspired me. I see a strong future for the Empire in his eyes."

"Good," Vader said. "Because I have other work for you. I believe three days should have been enough time for my son to think twice before engaging in further reckless behavior. I will have the relevant information concerning your next assignment sent to you as soon as possible. You may leave when ready."

"Thank you, sir."

Aviry left the room, leaving Vader alone to read over his report. It felt vaguely disturbing to have to ask a spy to report on things that he should be finding out himself. But it was just so difficult to make time for Luke. When they did have moments together, his son usually started an argument over something completely insignificant.

Vader picked up the datapad, and started to skim through the report. Apparently Luke's favorite food was 'bantha steak with the special sauce his Aunt Beru used to make'. Despite growing up on Tatooine, Vader had never tasted it himself until he'd attended a diplomatic banquet with Obi-Wan.

There was a paragraph about Ben, which Vader skipped over. He already knew too much about Luke's spineless friend. It was a relief to know he wasn't a complete loss as a father.

The mention of a girl caused Vader to read slower, realizing this was the female Aviry had referred to. So, it seemed there was more to the traffic diving than Luke had told him. It was no surprise that his son hadn't mentioned that part of the reason behind his reckless behavior was the misguided need to impress some girl.

Vader looked aside for a moment, wondering just when Luke had reached this stage. It seemed like just last week he'd referred to the girls in his class as strange aliens. For months now, he'd been acting like growing up was a race and he was determined to be first to the finish line. Why couldn't he just let things happen at their own pace?

Vader resumed reading the report, wondering what else Aviry had uncovered. The next section was about Luke's academic performance. The school sent quarterly reports concerning his progress, so there was little surprise there. It seemed geography was his favorite subject.

The final paragraph was about a particular subject that Vader had been expecting to see at the start. The endless daydreaming about flying. He definitely didn't need a spy to tell him about Luke's desire to have his speeder's license.

Vader put the datapad back on the table, and stared blankly at his distorted reflection in the table surface.

* * *

Luke's eyes opened a crack, and he found himself looking at his bedroom ceiling. There was no irritating sound of an alarm in his ears, which meant it wasn't a school day. Thank the Force for that. After this week, he needed an extra long weekend just to recover. He rolled over, intending to go back to sleep, when he caught sight of the bedside chronometer. It was after eleven. His father should be back by now.

Luke closed his eyes and stretched out mentally. There was an immediate confirmation.

_Hi_, Luke sent, _you're back_.

_Well observed. You have yet to face the day, I see. What time did you go to bed last night?_

Luke cast his mind back and remembered staying up late to talk to Aviry. He still had to call Ben to tell him the good news. But he'd promised Aviry he'd have a chat with his father at the first opportunity. Luke idly wondered if it was possible to grovel over their mind link. It would probably have more impact if he did as Aviry suggested and got down on his knees.

Luke sighed and pushed off his bedsheets. He might as well go and get this over with.

His father was in the conference room on the other side of the hall. He looked up as Luke entered the room. Luke stared at the floor for a moment and then looked up to meet his father's gaze.

"Don't think less of me," he said, steeling himself.

"What?"

Luke quickly dropped down on his knees and clasped his hands in front of him.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! _Please_ forgive me. I was reckless, and stupid, and all those other things you're always saying I am. You're the best father in the galaxy, and I don't respect you enough. I'll do anything that you ask. Please, just call off Aviry!"

His father stared down at him for a moment and then said, "What have you done to your face?"

"Did you hear a word I said?" Luke asked in annoyance. "Because I'm not repeating it!"

His father stepped forward and reached out a hand to pull him back up. "I heard every word," he said, "and I believed none of it. That was quite possibly the most half-hearted display of grovelling I have ever seen. But, you will be pleased to know I have already reassigned Agent Aviry. I require him urgently elsewhere."

"Oh," Luke said, looking aside. Aviry was obviously too excited to have bothered to drop him a message. Typical.

"Now, how did you injure yourself?" his father asked pointedly.

Luke automatically ran his hand down his cheek. The bacta patch was nearly ready to peel off. "If I tell you, you can't make any remarks."

"I reserve the right to make any remarks I wish."

"Then no deal."

"If you will not tell me, I will ask Agent Aviry." There was a note of warning in his father's tone. He obviously thought this was the result of some reckless misadventure.

"All right," Luke said, raising a hand. "But please, this isn't funny! It was a shaving accident." Luke looked at the floor and then added, "So how was Reeni Core?"

There was no reply from his father. Luke glanced up and raised an eyebrow.

"Shaving?" his father said, finally.

"You know," Luke said. "That thing you have to do if you don't want to grow a moustache and beard?"

"I know the definition of the word," his father said impatiently. "How long have you been shaving? You are too young to need to shave."

"Why?" Luke said. "How old were you when you started shaving?"

His father appeared to be thinking. When no answer was forthcoming, Luke added, "Ben has been shaving since last year. Lots of boys in my class shave."

"What did you use?" his father asked finally. "A lightsaber?"

"See, I knew you just couldn't help yourself!" Luke said, pointing at his father.

"You should have waited until I returned," his father said. "I can teach you how to shave. Preferably, without causing permanent damage to your appearance."

Luke stared at his father blankly. Would it be rude to ask the obvious question?

"Yes, it has been a while since I last had to shave," his father said, guessing what he was thinking. "However, I do still remember how." He gestured for Luke to move out. "Show me what you were using."

Luke hesitated for a moment and then led the way out of the conference room and across to his bedroom. For once, his father didn't comment on the state of his room, which was a small relief. Luke entered the refresher and reached for the light. His father entered behind him and picked up the automatic razor lying on the countertop.

"Here is your problem," he said, inspecting it. "You have the power set to full. He turned the dial all the way in the clockwise direction. "For non-existent facial hair, you will need the lowest setting. Try that."

"Are you sure?" Luke said, staring at it.

"Test it on your arm if you are worried."

"No, I'll just blame you if it goes bad," Luke said, switching it on. "And Ben said these things were idiot proof." Unlike last time, the laser only felt slightly warm. Within a minute, he was finished. "That was a lot better," Luke admitted, rubbing his now smooth face. "Thanks."

"Good. It will soon become yet another tedious task you have to complete every morning. Enjoy the novelty while it lasts."

"I'll try," Luke said, smiling at his father's reflection in the mirror. It was odd to see him in the refresher. His father was returning his gaze with an emotion behind it that Luke couldn't quite place. He seemed to be thinking deeply about something. Eventually, he roused himself.

"You are growing up quickly."

Luke glanced at his own reflection in the mirror. Despite the height he had put on over the last year, he still didn't come close to reaching his father's shoulder.

"If this is what you call growing quickly, I think I'm doomed."

"I was not referring to your physical height," his father said, sounding slightly exasperated.

"What, then?" Luke asked, turning to face him.

After a moment of silence, his father said, "While I was away, I had some time to reflect on our recent conflict. Perhaps I haven't been completely fair with you in regards to your desire to fly."

Luke blinked in disbelief. Had he heard that right?

"However," his father said, changing his tone, "it is very hard for me to believe that anyone who would jump out of a moving speeder in mid-air is mature enough to fly."

"All right, all right," Luke said, fearing the start of another lecture. "I know, it was stupid. And, believe it or not, I do understand why you don't want me flying. You're scared I'm going to do idiotic things like flying too fast, ignoring all the skyway rules, and end up being killed in a fatal speeder crash."

"That is surprisingly insightful," his father said.

"Aviry explained a few things," Luke said, shrugging.

"It may surprise you to know that I understand how much flying means to you."

"How could you understand that?" Luke said, quietly, looking aside. He wished he could believe his father, but it seemed so impossible.

"Because it meant a lot to me when I was your age."

Luke snapped his head up, looking at his father in surprise.

"I am going to a give you that chance you asked for," his father continued. "The chance to prove that you are not as reckless as I think."

"You mean …" Luke could hardly believe it. "You're going to let me fly?"

"Yes. Don't give me reason to regret it."

"Oh stars, thank you, thank you, _thank you_!" Luke said, shaking with excitement. He opened his arms to embrace his father, but then quickly let them fall back by his sides, realizing that would probably result in a swift withdrawal of the offer.

His father immediately shifted back into the main room, obviously wanting to put some distance between himself and Luke. Luke followed.

"Can I go to the licensing office now? Can I, please?"

"In your pajamas?" his father asked, gesturing to his attire.

"If I get changed first, can I go now?" Luke asked, starting to unbutton his shirt. "I need my birth certificate and proof of my address. You do have my birth certificate, right?"

His father raised a reassuring hand. "There is no need to take on the bureaucracy. You would need an entire legion of troop reinforcements if you intended to do that. I will have an assistant arrange a private application for you."

"Pull some strings, you mean?" Luke asked, grinning. "I've already passed the written test. Do you think they could arrange it so I can sit the practical test this afternoon?"

"When were you planning on learning to fly?" his father asked. "In the next five minutes?"

"I already know how to fly," Luke said. "We're only talking about airspeeders here, not a star destroyer. I was driving landspeeders on Tatooine all the time."

"This arrogance is doing nothing to reassure me," his father said.

"Okay, okay," Luke said. "Come for a ride with me, then. I'll prove it."

"Very well," his father said. "I have some work to attend to first, but I will make some time for you to impress me with your expert piloting skills."

"I can't wait!" Luke said. "Can we take the Narglatch Vyler?"

"We will take a standard Imperial government speeder," his father said. "Although, on second thought, it wouldn't reflect well if the populace saw one of those being flown erratically around Imperial City. I will locate a suitable speeder."

Luke swallowed any sarcastic responses, not wanting to jeopardize his good fortune.

"In the interim, I suggest you sit down with a copy of the Coruscant airway code and make sure you have memorized every rule."

"Sure," Luke said. In all honesty, he was a bit fuzzy on a few of them. He suspected his father was, too, judging by the way he flew. "Whatever you say."

His father started to leave, but Luke gathered the courage to ask a question.

"Um … does this mean I'm no longer grounded?"

His father turned back and stared at him in a penetrating way.

Luke raised his eyebrows, hoping he appeared innocent and trustworthy.

"You may leave the building if you are with me," his father said. "That is the only exception outside of essential purposes."

"Okay," Luke said, staring at his boots. "Um … how long is this for?" He was pushing it, to ask that, but his father seemed in a relatively good mood.

"I will reconsider in a month."

Luke nodded. He hadn't really expected any less, considering his father did have to pick him up from a traffic control station. It just seemed extraordinarily nice for his father to take him flying when he was supposed to be enduring a punishment. He wasn't about to point that out, however.

"I am going to speak with the Emperor," his father said. "I will contact you if there is any change in my availability for this afternoon."

"I'll be in the hangar bay waiting," Luke said. "And … uh … thanks again. You really are the best."

"I know," his father said, pointing at him.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

* * *

Sitting around waiting for his father to return was almost unbearable for Luke. He'd just finished a holocom call with Ben, to share the good news before heading to the hangar bay. Typically, his friend had been less interested in his pending promotion to Coruscant airway license holder, and more interested in hearing about the confrontation between Aviry and Tak's father. Ben's father had received a call from the principal that morning, informing them that Ben was welcome back at the school on firstday morning next week.

Luke was hoping he could fly them both there himself before long. All going well, he would have his license by sunset tomorrow. Maybe his father would let him pick out a speeder for his own personal use. He was planning to start looking for a good one as soon as he reached the hangar bay.

The more Luke thought about it, the better the future was looking. It would change his life so much to be able to fly when and where he pleased. No longer would his world be restricted to just Imperial City. Once his father saw that he was responsible with a speeder, he'd allow him to fly the spaceworthy ships as well. He could visit nearby star systems on weekends. So many places he'd only dreamed about visiting, and now they could all be within his reach.

But the greatest pleasure would be the flying itself. Could anything be better than the feeling of moving through the stars, free from the pull of gravity?

Luke was finally pulled out of his daydreams by the elevator doors sliding open, revealing the vast hangar bay. Luke paused for a moment, and then made a beeline for the speeders. Halfway there, he was distracted by a familiar presence. Aviry was nearby, checking over a nearby utility craft and chatting with Lev. Luke brightened at the sight of them, and ran over to join them. They both looked up at Luke's arrival.

"Lev! Aviry! Have you heard the news?"

Lev and Aviry shared a glance, and then Lev looked at him with a blank expression.

"You mean about the new tax exemptions for military service?"

"My father is going to let me get my license!" Luke said. "I'm allowed to fly! Can you believe it? He _finally_ said yes. We're going for a flight together really soon!"

"Really?" Lev said. "That doesn't sound right to me. Does that sound right to you, Agent Aviry?"

"Doesn't sound right to me," Aviry said. "Are you sure he wasn't just having you on?"

Luke's face fell. He wouldn't, would he? No, not even his father could be that cruel. Or could he?

Lev suddenly grinned, then pulled something out of his clipboard. It was a small, shiny square, with a data reader along one side.

"I came down here to give you your new learner license," Lev said. "But surprisingly, you weren't yet drooling over that new Narglatch model. Enjoy."

Luke had to smile. He'd walked into that one. "Thanks."

"Stars, I remember when my father taught me to fly," Lev said, smiling with nostalgia. "After about the third day, we realized that if we continued, our relationship wasn't going to survive. So my mother took over, and three weeks later, I got my license."

"Then lucky I already know how to fly."

"You do?" Aviry said. "I thought this was your first time."

"I've flown a shuttle in space before. No problem."

"Do you mean that time you crashed that shuttle into a star destroyer hangar bay?" Lev asked.

"It crashed because the ship was damaged," Luke said, in response to Aviry's skeptical expression. "Not because of my piloting."

"Luke," Lev said carefully, "don't take this as a slight on your abilities, but I think you might find this trickier than you think. Your father may make it look easy, but like any new skill, it will take time and patience."

"Patience? Luke?" Aviry said, grinning. "Come on. Let's not make it sound impossible."

"Ha ha." Luke frowned at Aviry.

"I just don't want you to be disappointed if it doesn't go as smoothly as you imagine," Lev said.

"I suppose I am out of practice," Luke admitted. "It's been a few years."

"And I'm sure there's a galaxy of difference between the traffic on Coruscant and the traffic on Tatooine," Aviry suggested.

"I guess. There were no road rules on Tatooine, even in the towns. But then, there weren't many roads."

Aviry and Lev shared a look.

"If I hear any more, I think I'm going to start worrying," Lev said. "I better get back to work. Let me know how it all goes."

"I must depart as well," Aviry said, turning to Luke as Lev walked back to the elevators. "I'm rendezvousing with a cruiser in ten minutes."

"By the way," Luke said, waving a finger at Aviry, "thanks for telling me you had already been reassigned before I went and humiliated myself! My father thought I was a few ships short of a fleet."

"I thought you had already spoken to him!" Aviry protested.

"I was asleep," Luke said. "I needed it after this week."

"Yeah, it's certainly been a ride," Aviry said, grinning. His gaze wandered past him. "There's your father."

Luke followed his gaze, and saw the tall black form of his father exiting a newly arrived speeder. A surge of excitement rose up inside him. It was time.

"I'll leave you to it," Aviry said. "I hope I'll see you again, Luke. Good luck. With everything."

"Thanks. Good luck with your mission."

"I'm going to need it," Aviry said, with an excited grin. He started to board the ship, but Luke suddenly spoke up.

"Aviry?"

He looked back. Luke offered his hand.

"Friends?"

Aviry smiled widely, and accepted his handshake. "Friends," he agreed. He then pulled Luke into a hug, and Luke laughed. "Hey, not that friendly! You did violate my privacy and nearly ruin my life on multiple occasions."

"All part of my job," Aviry said, releasing him. "Go on, before your father leaves without you."

Luke glanced over, and saw his father was walking among his vast collection of airspeeders. Seeing Aviry's point, he rushed off to join him, and ended up skidding up along side him. His father didn't react, obviously sensing his pending arrival from a long way off.

"Hi!" Luke said, brightly. "Are you ready?"

His father glanced down at him. "It seems you have formed a friendship with Agent Aviry. Interesting, for someone who was begging me on bended knee to reassign him this morning. I sense a conspiracy."

Luke shrugged, and offered a small smile. "It's complicated."

"So it seems."

"So is this the one we're taking?" Luke gestured to the red and silver speeder in front of them.

His father nodded. "You should find this speeder stable and simple to fly. The controls are all automatic."

"Let's go then," Luke said, shifting around his father to get to the pilot's side. "What are we waiting for?"

"I need to consult with my lawyers first."

"Why?"

"To ensure my will is up to date."

"Oh, very funny," Luke said, frowning. "Come on!"

Luke slid into the driver's seat and checked to ensure the key was already in the ignition. His father took his time getting into the passenger side, to the point where Luke had already started the engine before the door was closed.

"Now be _careful_," his father said. "Maneuver slowly out of the hangar."

"All right, all right." Luke squeezed the lift control. The speeder rose two meters in the air.

"Be careful with the -"

His father was broken off as they lurched forward. Luke hastily used the brake, causing them to jolt back.

"Whoops! The controls are a little sensitive. Just getting the feel of it."

Luke glanced at his father and found he was buckling up his seat restraints. He sighed to himself and then lightly touched the accelerator. The speeder shifted gently forward.

"See?" Luke said. "It's fine now."

"Keep your hands on the steering controls," his father said, pointing. "At all times. Watch out for that shuttle on your right."

"I'm nowhere near it," Luke said, slowly turning the speeder to face the hangar bay exit, while adding more thrust.

"Slowly."

Luke sighed and decreased the speed. They moved out through the hangar bay exit at what felt to Luke like a crawl.

"Now pitch up," his father said, gesturing towards the sky. "Get well clear of the buildings."

"Where are we going?" Luke said, adjusting the pitch and accelerating forward.

"Head for the skylane." His father pointed at the nearest stream of speeders. "We will lap the city a few times. Be extra careful when you merge."

Luke stared up at the fast moving traffic lane and hit the throttle.

"Slow down."

"How can I merge if I'm not going at the same speed as them?"

"Keep an eye on the guidance system. There is another speeder coming up on your right."

The other speeder roared past them, and Luke found he'd been knocked off course due to the air disturbance. He steered around but overcompensated and quickly steered back the other way. The speeder soon stabilized, but Luke found he'd lost speed in the interim. He accelerated again, seeing the traffic lane coming up on his left.

"Now merge like a zip."

Luke stared at the constant stream of traffic rushing past. Every time a gap appeared, the speeder above or below would quickly accelerate to prevent him moving in.

"They're not letting me in!"

"Perhaps you should switch on the left indicator."

"You could have told me earlier!"

"I thought you said you already knew how to fly."

The turn signal had no effect at all on the endless stream of speeders. Finally, Luke grew impatient and barged into a gap, causing two speeders behind to honk loudly and fly over the top of him.

"Are you trying to cause an accident?" his father snapped.

"It wasn't me, it was them!" Luke powered forward in the hope of losing the tailgater who had taken up residence behind him.

"You are over the speed limit."

"So is everyone else!"

"How do you expect to pass the practical test when you are breaking the law?"

"I've never seen you fly at anywhere close to the speed limit."

"Keep your eyes in front. Pay attention to the events happening around you!"

Luke did as his father suggested and saw a large ship was coming up ahead. It was cruising at a much slower pace, meaning he had to pitch up to fly around it.

"Move over to the left," his father ordered. "The lane will soon split in two."

"Sure." The traffic soon veered around, taking them away from a much busier lane heading out to the senate. Various ships and speeders were joining their lane ahead, and Luke realized they were passing by a vast entertainment center. It was always busy on weekends.

"Can I practice landing on a pad?" Luke asked, gesturing down.

"Perhaps later. Watch out."

Luke glanced down and saw a large airbus was cutting him off from below.

"People fly like maniacs," he complained, swerving away.

"Yes. You will have to get used to it. This traffic is only the weekend afternoon variety. If you intend to fly during the week, you will encounter far worse."

"Where now?" They were approaching another fork.

His father looked around, possibly thinking.

"Hurry up!" Luke said. They were currently streaming down the middle of the lane. When no answer was forthcoming, he turned to the left.

"Right," his father said, finally.

"Too late! Can you give me more warning next time?"

"Take the next right No, not that right," he added, as Luke started to turn down a nearby lane. Luke merged back, causing another speeder to give him a loud horn.

"You need to work on your merging."

"My merging is fine!" Luke complained. "Your directions are terrible!"

"Pay attention!"

Another airbus was barging in front of him, and Luke tried to pitch up. His father hastily reached over and turned the speeder to the right.

"Let go!" Luke said, pushing his father's arm back.

"You need to learn to correctly judge the capabilities of your vehicle. There is no way this speeder would have accelerated quickly enough to make it over the bus. Now go left."

Luke sighed then did as his father suggested. He immediately jammed on the brakes, causing both of them to pitch forward. The lane was jammed.

"Oh, more great directions!" Luke said.

"There must be an event on at the convention center up ahead. No matter. This will give you an opportunity to practice your merging."

"Can't we just do a u-turn?"

"Are you suggesting we fly the wrong way down an airway? Do you wish to be arrested again?"

"I've seen you do it!"

"I am not the one who is trying to get his license."

Luke sighed and leaned back against the seat. He was surprised to find his heart was beating rapidly. This had been more stressful than he'd imagined. Between his father's distracting remarks and constant directions, there was no time to actually enjoy his flight. A space opened up in front of him, and he inched forward. Unfortunately, he was being so careful not to overdo the accelerator, an airbike cut him off from below.

"This is going to take a while," Luke said, glancing at his father. "You should probably cancel your next appointment."

His father gestured to the right. "Drop down and then shift over to the right. There is a faster moving stream coming up soon."

Luke obeyed his father's instructions and merged neatly into a steadily moving sidestream. This time, someone was kind enough to let him in. The airway led around the convention center and then diverged away from the city. Luke suddenly found he had a lot more room to maneuver.

His father glanced at him. "Speed limit."

Luke reluctantly released the accelerator.

"Stay in this lane for a while. Be aware of what is going on around you. That is the key to good flying."

Five minutes of steady cruising later, Luke noticed the other vehicles were easily overtaking him. Some of them were honking as they swerved below and above him.

"This is just embarrassing," Luke said finally.

"You are flying too slow."

"Too slow? But you just said I was over the -"

"The speed limit changed a kilometre back. You would know that if you'd reviewed the airway code like I told you to."

Luke groaned loudly. His father was taking pleasure in making this as difficult as possible.

"Turn left at the next lane marker. We will fly over the industrial district and rejoin a lane heading back to the city on the other side."

Luke did so and enjoyed the feeling of freedom as he accelerated over the largely empty skyway. A short way in, he recognized the area where Pam and the others enjoyed their traffic diving sport. Fortunately, they were nowhere to be seen today. He never wanted to remind his father about that ever again.

"They call this area The Works," his father said. "When I was your age, the abandoned area was much larger than it is today. There were many outlandish stories about the activities that went on around here."

Luke grinned. "There still are. I heard there's an entire factory filled with nothing but droids. All the people left decades ago, but because of their programming, they still keep on doing their jobs."

"That black complex on the horizon is where Sienar Fleet Systems manufacture TIE Fighters," his father said, gesturing. Luke looked over, seeing a massive building that stretched for as far as he could see. "Over a hundred are produced per day."

"Can we go and have a look?"

His father was silent for a moment and then said, "I don't see why not. Perhaps I could do a surprise inspection."

"That's just mean. How would you feel if you were them and you did a surprise inspection on you?"

"I would be honored."

"They'll be terrified."

"Luke, I have observed that my ability to inspire fear in people is significantly reduced when I am in your company. Do not worry about Sienar. There is a reason why they have this contract with the Empire."

Luke personally thought his father was underestimating his ability to terrify people, but he did want to see the TIE manufacturing plant.

"Which side is the landing pad on?" Luke asked, accelerating towards the complex.

"North. Fly around the side. The sky above is restricted airspace."

"Do you have to transmit some kind of identification code to land there?" Luke asked, glancing at his father. Now that he was closer, he could see vast transmitting towers all over the roof, indicating the presence of a security shield.

"Yes." His father pulled down the speeder comlink. "Watch where you are going."

"They'll probably guess it's you from the code," Luke said, grinning as the building streamed past on his left. He could see the entrance up ahead.

"Perhaps. But I do not usually visit them in a speeder like this. I do not usually fly so erratically, either."

"I'm not erratic! Okay, is that the entrance?"

"Yes. Slow down."

Luke unfortunately braked a little too hard, causing his father to slip while entering the identification code.

"You are fortunate they haven't blasted us out of the sky," his father said, quickly re-entering the code.

"Where should I park?"

"On the landing pad would be sufficient."

"Of course!" Luke said, annoyed. "Inside or outside?"

"Inside, if you can manage not to hit the walls."

"I'll do my best," Luke said sarcastically, as he turned the speeder around. He moved the vehicle forward into the entrance, revealing a white and grey hangar. There was a line of speeders already parked along one side.

"Landing can be difficult. Take it slowly."

"Slowly and carefully," Luke said, bringing the speeder down. "Slowly and carefully."

There was barely a shudder when the speeder reached the ground. Luke turned off the engine and stepped out to admire his handiwork. His face fell when he saw he'd parked the speeder on a forty-five degree angle to the wall.

"You're crooked."

Luke glanced up at the unfamiliar voice and saw two guards were standing in front of the speeder, both holding blasters.

"I can see that," he said, frowning.

Before the guards could respond, his father stepped out of the speeder. They instantly came to attention.

"Lord Vader!"

"Inform your superior of my arrival," he said.

"Yes, sir!"

The guards saluted and sprinted off. His father walked around, inspecting his attempt at parking.

"Hey, I tried," Luke said.

"You will get better with practice."

"It was this speeder that put me wrong," Luke said, gesturing to the neighbouring vehicle. "It's on a slight angle as well."

"A custom built model," his father said, glancing at it. "I believe that speeder is owned by Sienar's chief engineer. I wonder what he is doing here on a weekend." He gestured to Luke. "Follow me."

His father led him through the hangar bay exit, into a vast entrance hall. There was a giant statue of the Emperor in the center, surrounded by a ring of fountains. The floor was tiled with squares printed with the Imperial icon. Luke looked up, seeing the ceiling was hung with models of TIE Fighters. Bootsteps caused him to glance over towards one of the side doors, and two men entered, both looking nervous.

One of them looked a little familiar. His eye fell on Luke, and suddenly all nervousness was gone from his expression. He gave Luke a small smile.

"Lord Vader," the second one said with a small bow. "An honor and a pleasure."

"Administrator Towry," his father said in greeting. "Commander Wray." He glanced at Luke. "Administrator, this is my son, Luke Skywalker. Luke, I believe you have already met Commander Wray."

"I remember," Luke said, reaching out to accept two offered handshakes. Commander Wray was Sienar's chief engineer, whom he'd met at the Imperial Museum of Technology.

"You've grown up since I last saw you," Commander Wray said, smiling.

"I was flying out this way," Luke explained. "My father was telling me about this place, and I wanted to have a look."

"You are very welcome," the administrator said, also smiling now. "I would be honored to give you a personal tour."

_I thought we were here because I was doing a surprise inspection._

_Oh_, Luke sent in reply. _Sorry. I forgot._

"What brings you here, Commander?" his father said aloud.

The commander's smile faded, and his gaze briefly shifted to the floor. There was a small engineering problem with the new TIE Bomber manufacturing process. I am endeavouring to fix it as soon as possible so production will not be delayed."

"Very well," his father said. "Luke, you may go with the administrator. Perhaps I can assist with this problem, Commander."

_Enjoy yourself_.

_You too_, Luke sent back. Fixing engineering problems was his father's favorite hobby.

* * *

Vader always enjoyed spending time with engineers. Commander Wray he had known for almost two decades. They had first met when he was still his former self, a young Jedi seeking ways to help the Republic win the Clone Wars with superior starfighters.

Now, older and wiser, he knew that technology and equipment did not win wars, no more than a lightsaber could win a duel. If it were so, the Empire would have stamped out all resistance years ago.

So perhaps his assistance here this afternoon had been an idle use of his time, in the grand scheme of things. The issue with the manufacturing process had been difficult, but the Sienar team would have eventually found the answer without his help. But, if nothing else, Luke seemed to have enjoyed himself immensely, judging by the emotions he'd felt over their link throughout the afternoon.

He could see his son far, far below, down on the factory floor, from his vantage point on the viewing balcony. Luke was marveling at a newly constructed TIE Bomber rising on a droid arm and moving slowly into a loading bay, where it would await the final stages of construction. He gave his son another mental nudge, reminding him it was time to leave. It was the third one so far.

"You know, sir," Commander Wray said, staring down at the rows of TIE Fighter wings being assembled. "I have to admit you have made me feel ashamed of myself."

"It was an unusual problem," Vader said, surprised at this confession. Did he fear some sort of retribution for this incident?

"Not the engineering problem, sir," he explained. "It is the fact that someone as busy as you can still make the time for your son."

"Appearances can be deceiving," Vader said. "Today is the first significant time we have spent together in a month." Picking him up from the traffic control center didn't count. "Luke is accepting of the situation."

"This morning, my own daughter accused me of not knowing who she is. I've been wondering if perhaps she isn't right."

Vader was quiet, considering the situation. If he had heard correctly, Commander Wray was asking him for advice. Not as a military commander or an engineer, but as a parent. No one had ever done that before. It was a great affirmation, to be taken seriously as a parent. He'd reached a milestone.

"How old is she?" Vader asked, his voice betraying none of his feelings.

"Thirteen."

"A difficult age," Vader said, looking down at Luke. He paused for a moment and then said, "Luke's medic informed me that it is natural for teenagers to be secretive about their activities. Apparently it is a way of showing their independence. To then accuse parents of not knowing enough about them sounds like typical self-pity."

"She is certainly secretive. Seems to spend most of her time in her room on the holocom. Sometimes I think the only way I'm going to find out what's going on in her life is to hire a spy." He chuckled to himself.

"It has been done before," Vader said, distantly.

In the room behind them, an elevator chimed, followed by the sound of footsteps. Vader turned to face his son as he rushed up, still grinning with excitement. The administrator was walking slowly behind, appearing worn out.

"Did you know a TIE Fighter can travel three hundred and thirty three meters in a single second?" Luke asked.

"In atmosphere," Commander Wray said, proudly.

"We must depart," Vader said, moving off the balcony.

"Sure," Luke said, following. "I'm ready."

_Thank the administrator for his time_, Vader sent.

_I was going to!_

"Thanks for the tour," Luke said. "Very interesting."

"You're very welcome," Administrator Towry said. "Come back anytime."

"Thanks."

"This is only one of many manufacturing centers," Commander Wray explained.

"I'd like to see the Kuat Drive Yards," Luke said. "Imagine building a star destroyer. It must take years!"

"It takes years to tour the Kuat Drive Yards," Commander Wray said. "Massive place."

They had reached the hangar bay entrance at this point, and Luke suddenly rushed on ahead, clearly worried he might be demoted to the passenger seat on the ride back.

"I trust he managed to contain some of his boundless energy during the tour?" Vader asked.

The administrator gave a weak smile. "He is a very enthusiastic young man when it comes to the subject of flying. There's no doubt he'll be a skilled pilot. He said he was looking forward to flying a TIE as soon as he has his license."

Vader felt an uneasy feeling arise within him at the words. The basic TIE was a craft designed more for speed and fire power than safety. He didn't want Luke flying an unshielded craft, no matter how skilled he thought he was. Not until he had many years more experience.

For that matter, he didn't want Luke flying in space. Flying around Imperial City was dangerous enough. In space, anything could happen. Perhaps he had not spelt out his terms to Luke clearly enough this morning. As always, his son's imagination was overactive.

* * *

Compared to the first half of the flying session, Luke noticed his father was unusually silent. He didn't even make a remark when he shot out of the Sienar hangar bay a little faster than he'd meant to. Normally he would have asked his father what was wrong, but this silence was much preferably to the endless stream of comments he'd had to tolerate earlier.

"Where to from here?" Luke said, once the Sienar manufacturing plant was once against a large grey blob on the horizon.

"Use your navigation system," his father suggested. "It will direct you to the nearest traffic flow."

Luke glanced at the control screen and stared at the moving dots in confusion. Eventually he found a button that gave him a wider view, and it started to make a little more sense. He accelerated in the direction of the arrow, hoping he wasn't about to get them lost. That wouldn't go down well.

The airway lane soon appeared up ahead, and Luke merged with relative ease. He glanced at his father, hoping for some kind of praise, but he quickly realized that was a faint hope. His father was staring out the window. Luke stretched out, testing his mood. He was displeased about something.

"Did you sort out that problem Commander Wray mentioned?" Luke asked.

"Yes, I did," his father said, shortly.

"I like Commander Wray," Luke said. "He's nice."

His father didn't reply.

Luke noticed the lane diverged up ahead. He glanced at the navigation screen and then shifted into the middle. This should take him around past the financial district.

"We are returning home now," his father said, after sometime. "Stay in this lane."

"Okay," Luke said.

Luke dodged a convertible airspeeder that merged from below,\ and then found himself having to brake to avoid a large freighter. The convertible was now weaving in and out of the traffic ahead. Luke watched it for a moment, trying to figure out if it was a custom-built or a showroom model. His father would know. He glanced at him again and found his father had barely moved from the last time he'd looked over.

Maybe he was upset with him. Luke thought back, wondering what he had done. It could be any number of things, knowing his father. Perhaps he was disappointed in his flying. It was always like this. Just like he'd told Aviry, there was no end to his disappointment. He'd expected him to be a much better pilot than he was.

Luke stewed over it, until his father glanced at him. "Are you daydreaming?"

"No!" Luke insisted. He glanced down, and noticed he was about to overshoot the palace. "Ah. Whoops."

He plunged down, more steeply than he'd meant to. His stomach lurched as he quickly leveled out. The speeder stabilized, and Luke flew around the palace until he came up on the hangar bay entrance.

"Land anywhere," his father said, as Luke flew inside. "A droid can move the speeder later."

Luke glanced down, trying to remember the spot where the speeder had been parked previously. In his excitement, he hadn't taken much notice. Finally, he saw a space beside a row of similar speeders, and brought the speeder down gently. Once he'd landed, he looked up and realized he'd parked the speeder facing a different way from the rest. Given his father's mood, he doubted he'd have much patience if he tried to turn around.

He reached up to stop the engine, leaving them in silence, apart from his father's constant respirations. Luke tapped his fingers nervously, wondering if he was going to say anything disparaging about his piloting. He couldn't bring himself to ask if he could sit the practical test tomorrow. It was more than obvious what the answer would be.

When Luke couldn't stand waiting any longer, he pushed open the speeder door.

"I'll be in my room," Luke said, shortly.

"Wait," his father said, raising his hand slightly.

Luke swallowed. This was it. The end to his short-lived hope of gaining a license.

"Luke, perhaps I wasn't clear this morning on the terms of this agreement."

His father paused for a moment, causing Luke to fidget nervously.

"When you have obtained your license, you may take a speeder by yourself for short journeys, within the confines of Imperial City. I will expect you to tell me where you are going and if you are intending to take passengers."

"Sure," Luke said, both surprised and relieved. He'd completely misread the reason for his father's silence.

"What this does not mean is that you can fly around the solar system in a TIE Fighter. I will see how you handle the responsibility of a speeder license before considering anything else. Clear?"

Luke nodded. "Okay."

He'd expected as much. It wasn't as much as he'd like, but he could live with it. This was obviously a big step for his father, and he wanted to take it slowly. Maybe he could risk asking about the practical test now.

"So," Luke said, carefully, "can I sit the practical test tomorrow?"

His father turned to stare at him. "Is that another attempt at humor?"

Luke inwardly cringed at the words. He hadn't misread him at all. That was a subtle way of saying that his piloting was bad enough to be a joke.

"You need more practice," his father said, "to put it mildly."

Luke felt annoyed at the slight. He'd only made so many mistakes because his father was constantly distracting him. It took all his willpower to avoid saying it.

"I am willing to teach you to fly properly," his father added, after Luke did not respond. "If you are willing to accept that you have much to learn."

Despite his annoyance, Luke felt a faint hope at the words. If his father was still willing to take him flying, he couldn't think that he was completely incapable.

"When will you have time?" Luke asked. "You'll probably have to leave again before much longer."

His father observed him for a moment and then said, "Do I sense resentment?"

Luke had to admit that he did, but not for the reason his father thought. He may resent his father for expecting him to be a miracle pilot, but he resented himself more for not meeting those expectations.

"I will arrange time when I can," his father said, when Luke did not reply. "If you have to wait, it will give you time to study the airway code properly."

"Thanks," Luke said, quietly. "I … uh … I don't resent you for having to leave all the time. I know you've got important things to do."

As if to support his statement, his father's comlink started beeping.

"Yes," his father said, with a touch of weariness. He waved Luke on. "I will see you later."

* * *

Unable to go anywhere, Luke spent the rest of the weekend pouring over a copy of the Coruscant airway code, until he was sure he had memorised every last piece of punctuation. Next time, he'd show his father. He wouldn't make a single mistake.

Once he'd exhausted the airway code, he raided his father's library for databooks on piloting techniques. There were certainly enough of them. Most of them were about starfigher combat strategy, but there were a few on city-based airspeeder flying. He was still reading one when Ben caught up with him on their way to school on firstday morning.

"Luke! Where's Aviry?"

"Huh?" Luke said, looking up. "Oh, he's been reassigned. My father needed him somewhere else."

Ben appeared crestfallen. "Reassigned? But … but I wanted to thank her personally!"

"Don't worry, she knows," Luke said, looking back at his databook.

"I'm going to miss having her around," Ben said, joining Luke as he entered a tube walkway. "Things are going to be boring without her."

"Ben, if she'd stayed much longer, we were going to have to start fending some of the guys off her with a stick."

"True," Ben admitted. "So do you have your license yet?"

Luke groaned and slotted the databook into his school pack.

"Don't ask."

"I'll take that as a no," Ben said, grinning. "Did your father change his mind again?"

"No. But he says I need a lot more practice before I can sit the test."

"Fair enough," Ben said. "You don't want to rush into it and fail."

"He spent the whole time criticizing everything I did!" Luke said. "You're flying too fast, you're not using your turn signal, you're flying too slow."

"You mean he expected you to fly like a pro on your first time?" Ben said. "That's rough."

Luke made a half-hearted noise of agreement.

"You should have told him to go easy on you. Everyone has to learn some time."

"Well," Luke said, looking aside, "I did tell him before we went out that I already knew how to fly."

Ben rolled his eyes. "Should I ask why?"

"I was scared he'd be disappointed if I wasn't some miracle pilot. He's so worried I'm going to crash. Besides, he's going to expect me to be as good a pilot as he is. I didn't want to let him down." Luke pointed a thumb to his backpack. "I'm reading up on flying techniques so I can be ready next time. If I fly as uselessly as I did the first time, he'll change his mind about the whole thing."

"Maybe you're expecting too much of yourself," Ben said, as they entered an elevator. "Take my father, for example. When he was at school, he was captain of the holoball team, athletics star, martial arts, you name it. He was always trying to get me interested in sports when I was younger. Now he understands that just because I'm his son, it doesn't mean we're the same."

"But I _want_ to be an expert pilot," Luke insisted.

"But do you really?" Ben asked. "Or is it just because you want to meet your father's expectations?"

"I wanted to fly before I even met him."

"That's true," Ben admitted, as the elevator doors slid open. "On the other hand, from what you've said about Tatooine, anyone would want to fly to get away from there."

Luke glanced up in wonder as he stepped out onto the landing pad, seeing the speeders in the crammed skylanes streaming by overhead. "Aviry said it was my boon."

"Your what?"

"The thing that you're meant to do in life," Luke explained. "I thought she was right. But, I don't know, it just didn't go like I imagined it would. It wasn't like my dreams."

"Your dreams are pretty fantastical," Ben said. "How can reality live up to that?"

"Ah, maybe you're right," Luke said. "Maybe what I thought I wanted was just a dream. What do you want to do in life?"

Ben looked thoughtful. "I'm still deciding. I've been thinking seriously about medical school, though." He glanced at Luke. "You're not worrying about your career, are you?"

"Weren't you just suggesting I wasn't cut out to be a pilot? If that's true, then I probably should be finding another career."

"I didn't mean that," Ben said. "I just meant you shouldn't kill yourself trying to live up to your father's expectations. You're probably sucking all your enjoyment out of flying."

"I can't help it," Luke said. "I care what he thinks of my piloting. I can't change that."

"Anyway, no matter how good you are at flying, your father will not let you be a career pilot. Be realistic."

"Yeah, he does talk sometimes about me ruling the galaxy. What a joke. My plan is to wait until he realizes that is a completely stupid idea, and then I'll become a career pilot." Luke frowned. "Which is all the more reason for me to stick at it." He pulled the databook out of his bag again, and pressed the resume button. "Thanks, Ben."

"Anytime," Ben said, sounding confused.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

* * *

Vader stood quietly at a three meter distance, observing his son. Luke was lying on a couch in the library, flat on his back and staring vacantly at the ceiling. One leg was bent and resting on the floor, while the other was stretched out straight, leaving his boot resting on the arm of the couch. His expression was the picture of melancholy.

"It is good to see you are using your time productively," Vader said, dryly.

Luke glanced at him and then returned to the ceiling.

"I'm thinking."

"Then I should not disturb you," Vader said, turning around.

"No, wait, what is it?" Luke said, sitting up.

Vader turned back. "I have to deliver an important datatape to Governor Mikul. You may use the opportunity for piloting practice if you wish."

Luke's emotions ran the length from surprise, to confusion, and then a mix of reluctance and longing. Vader drew in a slow breath, wondering how his son managed to feel so much in such a short space of time.

"All right," Luke said, finally. He stood up slowly.

"You overwhelm me with your enthusiasm."

Luke only stared at the floor in response.

"Is something wrong?" Vader prompted. Although asking Luke that question was akin to trying to draw water out of sand.

Luke met his gaze and then asked, "Who taught you to fly?"

"I taught myself," Vader said, gesturing for Luke to follow him. His son obliging walked beside him as they left the library. "And by watching other people."

"Do you remember the first time you flew?"

Vader sifted through his early memories of Tatooine, attempting to recall. Those memories were from someone else's life. An old bedtime story, half forgotten. There had been that rusty old airspeeder he'd fixed behind Watto's back. He'd had to put cushions on the seat just to see over the controls properly, so he must have been very young. Watto had been angry when he'd caught him flying it around the junk yard.

"Questions about my past life are forbidden," he said, suddenly, realizing he was about to start remembering more than he wanted to.

Luke was silent.

"Why do you ask?" Vader asked, glancing at him.

Luke joined him in the elevator. "No reason. Just making conversation."

"Tell me about the first time you flew," Vader suggested.

Luke's eyes took on a distant look. "I was about nine or ten. My friend Biggs had an older cousin visiting him, and he had an airspeeder. He let me and Biggs have a turn at flying it out the back of Biggs' house. Then Biggs father found out, and he was so mad. Not as mad as Uncle Owen was when he found out, though. I was grounded for weeks." Luke gave a half-smile. "Nothing has really changed, has it?"

"So it would seem."

"Being grounded on Tatooine was a lot worse than being grounded here, though," Luke said. "It was torture being made to stay on the farm." He seemed to think for a moment and then added quickly, "Not that I'm not suffering!"

"Good. Or I will have to arrange some real torture for you," Vader said, as the elevator doors slid open on the hangar bay.

"Please don't. Which speeder are we taking?"

"How did you find the controls on the previous one?"

"Fine," Luke said. "I'll go and warm it up."

His son ran on ahead, leaving Vader wondering when Luke was going to catch on that the whole idea of grounding him was more for his father's peace of mind than to act as a deterrent. Not that Luke couldn't behave recklessly while stuck at home, but at least it made him far easier to supervise.

He found himself wondering if Owen and Beru had worried about Luke as much as he did, or whether this was one of the exclusive benefits of being his father. On a wild, untamed world like Tatooine, there would have been plenty to worry about. Although, they were probably mostly worried about whether Luke was going to turn out just like his father. He had to admit, there were days when he worried about the same thing.

When he reached the speeder, he boarded on the passenger side, and put the secured case he was carrying in the back. Luke lifted the speeder into the air as soon as the doors were closed.

"Why do you have to deliver that personally, anyway?" Luke asked. "What's on the tape?"

"Watch the other speeders," Vader said, noticing one of his prize restored classics coming up on the right.

"I'm watching," Luke said, in a weary tone.

"The tape is of a classified nature," Vader explained. "The information on it is worth many lives. I do not trust anyone else to deliver it."

Luke navigated cleanly out of the hangar, showing improvement from last time. They shot up quickly towards the nearest skylane.

"Where does this person live?" Luke asked.

"Watch the navigation computer while merging," Vader said, seeing a fast speeder streak by underneath.

Luke merged relatively easily. For all his recklessness, he was a fast learner.

"I will enter the coordinates of our destination into the navigation system," Vader said. "That will allow you to practice following a pre-programmed route. The journey will take about half an hour."

"Half an hour?"

"You will understand when you see the size of his mansion. It wouldn't fit in Imperial City."

"What happens if we get attacked?" Luke said, glancing around. "Are you sure we should be transporting something so important in a speeder like this?"

"This is ideal. As far as any spy can see, I am simply taking you for a flying lesson. You and I are the only people who know my real purpose."

"I'm glad I'm of some use to you," Luke said. "Are there really people spying on what we do all the time?"

"Of course. Even the most minor details about my daily activities sell for thousands on the information market."

Luke grinned, while swerving around a slower speeder. "I should get a part time job selling information. I could have paid for that traffic fine after all."

"The people who want to buy this information are not so easy to find. If they were, the Rebellion would no longer exist. Slow down, you are exceeding the speed limit. When the lane diverges, move to the right."

Luke fell silent, concentrating on his piloting for once. The traffic was relatively light in this patch, giving him a chance to practice the fundamentals of flying. It seemed to be second nature for Luke, much as it had been for him. Yet his son didn't appear to be enjoying this as much as all his years of begging suggested he would. He was frowning in concentration and looking around like he was trying to spot a familiar face in a vast crowd.

"It must be pretty exciting being a spy," he said, suddenly.

"Keep watching the nav system," Vader reminded. "Stay aware of what is happening around you."

"I am," Luke insisted.

"Then you should be aware that we are about to make an upward turn."

Luke glanced at the displays, and then proceeded to follow the nav guide. He flew between two airtaxis on the way up, and fell in behind a faster ship.

"What qualifications do you need to be a spy?" Luke asked. "Aviry said she had some degree in interplanetary relations."

Vader glanced at Luke, and then looked around to ensure he was flying safely before answering.

"One essential qualification is patience, which I believe you lack."

Luke responded by rolling his eyes and sighing.

"You are still not keeping an adequate watch on the nav system," Vader said. "There is a ship flying up on your right."

"It's ages away."

Vader felt a familiar worry start to stir in his mind. Luke's question about spies was yet another example of his son's insistence on trying to grow up too fast. Why was he considering his future career already? He had years to go before he'd have finished with his basic education. He was always so impatient, always wanting to push on ahead. He had never been like that at Luke's age.

Vader thought back for a moment, and then had to conclude he was wrong. He was exactly like that at Luke's age. Perhaps even worse. It was embarrassing to remember it now, but he hadn't been much older than Luke when he first suggested to Obi-Wan that he was ready for the trials of knighthood.

If only Obi-Wan had simply explained to him at the time that he wasn't saying no just to spite him. Perhaps then he wouldn't have ended up simmering in resentment. He and Luke needed to have a discussion on the subject, lest they end up going down the same road. The sooner the better, but preferably not when his son was supposed to be paying attention to his surroundings.

Luke's distractibility was his main obstacle in his quest to be a pilot. Flying required focus. This would be much easier if he could teach Luke to channel the Force to help him fly. Although it was undoubtedly his son's latent abilities which gave him his sharp reflexes and almost instinctive handling of the controls, there was so much more the Force could do for him, if only he knew.

"Father?"

Vader looked up. He hadn't realized he'd been staring blankly out the windscreen.

"Is that it?" His son gestured ahead. A massive glass and durasteel monument to neoclassical architecture rose out of the forest of skyscrapers, covered in sparkling spires and domed gardens.

"Yes. Approach carefully."

"Wow," Luke said. "Can I come in with you?"

"Very well. You will need to fly around the left of the building to locate the landing pad."

Vader reached out to broadcast a security code. The computer indicated they were being tracked by a security station on the north side of the building.

"Okay," Luke said, diving down to the landing pad. "Where should I park?"

"Anywhere," Vader said. "Block the door if you wish. I plan to be in and out as soon as possible."

Vader felt a nervous twitch along his mental bond with Luke. He'd felt the same thing the other day, when Luke had parked the speeder in the hangar bay.

"Concentrate, and you will not experience any problems," Vader said. "Use the guidance system."

Unfortunately, Luke's nervousness only increased as he slowly brought the speeder down on the pad. It wasn't like his son to be so hesitant. Not that he was complaining. Any sign of a more cautious approach to life was a good thing when it came to Luke.

As soon as they touched down, Luke jumped out of the speeder.

"Useless!" he declared, angrily.

Vader stepped out, and inspected the speeder.

"What is the problem?"

"I was trying to land straight to the building," Luke explained. "I'm crooked."

"It is adequate. Turn off the engine."

"Can I try again while you stay on the pad, and tell me if I'm on an angle?"

"In and out as soon as possible." Vader turned and walked towards the entrance, passing two heavily armed guard droids on the way. The blast doors slid open a moment later, and Vader walked through into the hall. A Duro that Vader recognized as one of the Grand Moff's assistants was waiting on the other side. He bowed in greeting.

"Welcome, Lord Vader. I will inform Governor Mikul of your arrival." The man waved a hand, and a protocol droid stepped forward. "P1-K, please show Lord Vader to the guest lounge and offer him some refreshment. The governor will join you as soon as possible."

As soon as possible would probably mean fifteen minutes, judging by past visits.

"Where is he?" Vader asked.

"In the conservatory, I believe, my lord. But he is entertaining another guest, and -"

"Take me to his location."

Before the assistant could reply, they were interrupted by Luke's arrival. He strolled through the doors, his hands in his pockets and staring at the carpet in a dejected manner. He stopped a meter away from Vader, and then gazed around curiously.

"Very well," the assistant said. "Perhaps your chauffeur would care to remain in the lounge."

"His chauffeur?" Luke spoke in a tone as if he'd just been accused of being a prisoner.

"This is my son," Vader said, waving a hand in Luke's direction. "Luke, you may stay with me or wait here. Choose quickly."

"I'll come with you."

The assistant spoke to the droid. "P1-K, please take Lord Vader and his son to the conservatory."

They followed the droid to the elevators. As soon as the doors slid closed, Luke glanced up.

"Your _chauffeur_?"

"It is sometimes difficult for people to identify how old you are when they are not the same species as you," Vader explained. "Besides, you are hardly dressed appropriately."

His son was wearing a slightly baggy style of clothing popular among Coruscant youth at the moment. The logo of a popular HoloNet channel was emblazoned on the back. He glanced down and smoothed out a wrinkled sleeve.

"You didn't ask me to change."

"I did not anticipate your wish to accompany me."

The elevator door opened, and the droid stepped out.

"If you will please follow me," she said in a placating tone.

There were more droid guards lining the corridors. The conservatory was at the end of a long hallway that was overcrowded with works of art and trophies from the many worlds the man governed. Halfway down, Luke cannoned into a small table that held a fragile statue. Vader reached out with the Force as it rocked back and forth, steadying the undoubtedly priceless piece of art.

"Whoops," Luke said. "I was … uh …"

"Daydreaming," Vader supplied. He gestured for Luke to shift in front of him. Luke did so, staring at the ground in a subdued way as if he'd just been severely chastened. Vader wondered if his son was just playing for sympathy, or if he'd said the word in a harsher tone than he'd meant to.

"Sculpture incoming on your right," Vader said, in an attempt to lighten his son's mood. It appeared to work, as Luke grinned in response.

"Don't worry, I'm reducing my speed."

They reached the end without any other mishaps, and the droid opened the doors. Luke walked in first and then came to a sudden halt. Vader gave him a light nudge, assuming he was simply surprised at the size of the room. Luke quickly shifted aside, allowing Vader to see exactly what had caused his son's shock. The Grand Moff was off to one side, straightening his collar in a mirror held up by a droid. Dotted around were an array of young ladies, all in varying degrees of skimpy attire. Some of them gasped at the sight of him, alerting the governor to his arrival.

"Ah, Lord Vader," he said, turning with a large smile that showed most of his teeth. "What a pleasant surprise."

"Luke! Face the door," Vader ordered, still keeping his gaze on the governor. Given Aviry's mention of females in his report, he didn't want to know where his son was currently looking. He waited a few seconds and then glanced over to ensure Luke had complied. His son had clearly heard in his tone that this was no time to argue, as he had dutifully turned around.

"Ah, you've brought your son," Governor Mikul said. "How nice." He turned to the women. "Ladies, give me and Lord Vader some privacy for a moment, would you?" He patted one of them on the back.

The women quickly filed out a door far off to the side, followed by the droid holding the mirror.

"And P1-K, that will be all," the governor added.

The protocol droid had to navigate around Luke to get out the door. Vader reached out to pull Luke back to face the governor, now that the room was rated for a general audience.

"Governor," Vader said in greeting. "I take it your wife is on vacation?"

The governor laughed and then said, "Alderaan is lovely this time of year. What can I do for you?"

Vader remained silent, wondering if he'd survive the Emperor's ire if he gave this man a good choking. His silence must have disturbed the governor, because he spoke his next words in a serious tone.

"Have I displeased the Emperor?"

"If you had done that, Governor Mikul, I would not waste time with words." Vader produced the datatape. "I believe you know what this is."

"Ah," he said, his eyes lighting up in understanding. "I see."

It changed hands, and the governor quickly pocketed it.

"Luke," Vader said, gesturing for his son to exit first. Next time, he would be wise enough to leave Luke in the guest lounge.

* * *

Luke was almost completely silent on the ride home. Vader gave the odd piloting instruction, but found he was distracted by his thoughts. Two more practice sessions, and it was likely Luke would be ready to obtain his license. He was already flying with the ease of someone with many weeks more experience. The thought made him feel decidedly uneasy. Yet he was the one who had allowed this. He could put a stop to it anytime he wanted.

_You've been over this_, Vader reminded himself. Luke would only be flying under the rules he'd spelt out. He'd remind Luke of that fact during their talk about his rush to grow up. Everything would be fine.

Luke once again became erratic when the time came to land in the hangar bay. He ended up parking straight, but too close to the neighbouring speeder to get himself out. He then proceeded to make several unsuccessful attempts to make himself thin enough to squeeze out the narrow gap, until Vader suggested wearily that he simply climb out the other side.

His son then started quickly for the elevators, as if worried his father was going to make some disparaging remark. Vader followed him, deciding that now was as good a time as any to have their talk. There was no guarantee he would still be on Coruscant tomorrow.

Luke pressed the button for an upper level, but Vader replaced it with a selection for the floor above.

"Luke," he said, "come with me."

"Why?" Luke said, staring up.

"We need to have a discussion."

"Is this about the flying?" Luke asked, sounding suddenly distressed.

"Not directly."

"Am I in trouble?" Luke asked as the elevator doors slid open.

"Do you have a reason to be in trouble?" Vader asked, pushing Luke forward.

"Not that I can recall, but that's no guarantee. Well, I'm sorry, whatever it is."

"Can a father not have a discussion with his son without it being a reprimand?" Vader asked, wondering why Luke was always implying his father did nothing but berate him. More of this adolescent self-pity, he supposed. "Now take a seat."

They had entered the conference room that overlooked the hangar bay. Luke dropped down into the seat nearest the door. Vader sat a quarter of the way around the table and swivelled his chair slightly so he was facing Luke.

Luke was staring at him with a look of both curiosity and nervousness.

"Son," he started, deciding he should get right to the point, "I understand you are growing up. You are not the child you were when we first met."

The reaction was unexpectedly dramatic. Luke gave a nervous laugh, and said, "Oh, you mean that kind of discussion." He jumped quickly to his feet. "Don't worry, I know exactly why those women were there. Everything, I swear it."

"What women?" Vader asked, confused.

"I have a really important thing to do," Luke said, making a dash for the door.

"Luke!" Vader raised a hand, using the Force to hold Luke in place.

"Let go!" Luke flailed his arms.

It was a useless gesture, but Vader chose to compromise. He raised his other hand, and activated the door lock. He then released his son, who backed up against the door like a frightened bantha calf.

"Calm down," Vader said. "There is no need for -" It then occurred to Vader just what women his son had referred to. Everything made abrupt sense. How typically immature. "You completely misunderstood."

"Are you sure?" Luke asked. He did take a step away from the door, however.

"Yes. But, seeing as you brought up the subject, just where did you find out exactly why those women were there?"

Luke started fighting with the door release.

"Which brings me to the point of this conversation," Vader said, moving over to stand next to Luke. "Why do you have this sudden desire to grow up so fast? It is not a race."

"Oh, for star's sake," Luke said, letting his hands fall back by his sides. He seemed to have realized the door was a lost cause. "I'm fifteen years old. I am grown up."

"You are not an adult yet," Vader said firmly. "First, the insistence on obtaining your speeder license at the earliest opportunity. Then wanting to shave the moment you see a microscopic hair on your face. Attempting to impress some female at your school with this dangerous traffic diving activity."

"What?" Luke's mouth had fallen open. "How did you -?" Understanding dawned, and his son frowned. "Ah, I'm going to kill Aviry!"

"For doing his job? And you accuse me of being ruthless."

"It's an expression," Luke said wearily.

"Returning to the point. Now you seem to be worrying about your future career. Why this desperate hurry? Life happens at its own pace. In time, the Force will reveal your destiny."

"Can I go now?" Luke asked. His tone was derisive.

"No. You can stay and discuss this with me like the mature adult you claim to be."

This discussion in a locked room idea was proving useful. He would have to remember this for the future.

"I can't discuss anything with you. You still think I'm a child."

"I just said that I realize you are no longer a child."

"Then what's the problem?"

"The problem is you need to learn to be patient. Rushing to do things before the time is right only leads to disappointment."

"Have you changed your mind about me getting my licence? Is that what this is about?"

"No, Luke," Vader said slowly. "I am only trying to help you understand why I want you to focus on the present, instead of letting your mind wander to the future. It is not because I want to hold you back. When you are young, you cannot always see what is best."

Luke appeared blank for a moment and then said, "So, can I sit the practical test now?"

Vader released a weary breath, reaching the conclusion that this conversation was pointless. His son appeared to have a one-track mind.

"You still need more practice."

"It's the landing, isn't it?" Luke said sadly.

"It is your lack of focus."

"What does that mean, anyway?" Luke said. "My lack of focus. You're always so vague."

"Think about it," Vader suggested. "Then you will understand."

"There you go again!" Luke said, waving a hand dramatically. "I need more practical help. Would you mind if I practiced my parking in the hangar bay when you're not there?"

"Very well," Vader said, "but have Artoo and Threepio stand by to ensure you do not damage anything."

"I'm not _that_ bad," Luke said.

"Many of those ships are irreplaceable," Vader said, waving a hand towards the viewing window that overlooked said ships.

"I know, I know," Luke said. "I'll be careful."

"Good." Vader released the door lock and then gestured for Luke to leave first. His son obliged, appearing relieved. He made to run for the stairwell that led to the hangar bay, but Vader stopped him. "Son, try and think about what I've said."

"Sure," Luke said immediately.

Vader found himself wondering whether his son had heard what he'd just said, never mind understood what he'd just agreed to do.

"Do you think you'll have time to take me for another practice session this week?" Luke asked.

"That will depend on whether the war brewing in the Higemon system resolves itself without my intervention," Vader said.

"Oh," Luke said. "Well, I hope it does."

"Yes," Vader agreed. But his son had already run off.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

* * *

The practice sessions in the hangar bay had proved to be an excellent idea. Artoo and Threepio were far more useful than mere sentries to ensure he didn't hit anything. They were both programmed with complete piloting functions, and, unlike his father, gave both practical advice and positive encouragement.

Luke had been relieved to find his father busy with work for the next week, lest he try again to lecture him about growing up too fast. Although, as lectures went, that had been on the mild side, but he had no desire to repeat it. Ben had laughed for ages when he'd told him about the visit to the Grand Moff's residence and the subsequent discussion. If nothing else, it was good that the trials of his life provided amusement for his friend.

When another weekend of being confined to quarters rolled around again, Luke began to feel desperate to get back into the sky where he belonged. His father had only criticized him half as much last time, which he supposed he had to take as an improvement. If it wasn't for the troublesome parking, perhaps he'd already have his license.

All he needed were some final practice sessions on a busy landing pad, the kind he'd likely have to face in the test. His father hadn't mentioned anything about taking him out, but Luke had made a point of following the news on the Higemon system. As he had hoped, it seemed war had been averted. Perhaps his father had forgotten. He'd like to remind him, but his father was likely over at Imperial military HQ or the detention center. Using his comlink wouldn't go down well if he was interrupted in the middle of something important.

Luke considered it for a moment, and then sat down at his computer. In a few seconds, he had entered a message to his father.

_Father,_

_Is there any chance of a flying session this weekend?_

He sent it to his father's mailbox id, and then lay down on his bed, staring at a model ship that hung from the ceiling. A moment later, his computer made a noise like an engine revving, indicating a reply. Luke stood up in surprise, and then brought the reply up on the monitor.

_Luke,_

_1) This is my high priority mailbox. Do not use it unless you have something high priority to say._

_2) If you wish to talk to me, walk across the hallway._

Luke grinned, and then turned to leave his bedroom. He followed his father's presence to the meditation room. He didn't bother to knock, seeing as he was already invited, and instead walked in and up to the top step. His father was sitting in the middle with the jaws of the chamber open, reading a viewscreen.

"Well?" Luke said. "Was that a yes?"

"Did you think about what I said like you agreed to do?"

"Um … yes," Luke said, carefully. "I thought about it." It wasn't a lie. He had certainly thought about how out of touch his father was with what it was like to be young.

"Did you reach any conclusions?"

"What conclusions did you want me to reach?" Luke asked.

His father was silent for a long while, staring at him blankly. Finally, he put down the viewscreen.

"I will meet you in the hangar in ten minutes."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Luke said, running for the door.

* * *

Today's flying lesson was more thorough than their earlier sessions. His father made him fly through tunnels, reverse around sharp corners, and merge in and out of busy airways until he was sure he could do all this in his sleep. According to the information he'd read on the HoloNet, it took an average person his age weeks to learn to do all this. He was picking it up quickly, but it still resulted in no praise from his father. No matter how perfectly he executed the most tricky manoeuvre, his father still found something to criticize. The only indication he had that things were going well was when his father suggested they move on to another exercise.

Finally, after they'd just flown around the city for the tenth time, his father asked something which caused Luke's mood to sink lower.

"After practicing with the droids, do you feel your ability to land has now improved?"

"Absolutely," Luke said. "Why?"

"Because there is a good place to demonstrate," his father said, gesturing down at a busy landing pad that was attached to a giant shopping complex.

The pad was marked out into bays, and appeared to hold around fifty speeders. There were similar pads jutting out for as far down as Luke could see. The constant stream of traffic to and from them was like a swarm of insects feeding from a massive pillar of sugar.

"I'll give it a try," Luke said, following behind a speeder heading for the nearest pad.

"Concentrate," his father said. "Use the guidance computer."

"Look at that speeder in front," Luke said, pointing. "There's about six children crammed in there."

"This is why you make mistakes," his father said, glancing at him. "You are staring at the other speeder instead of thinking about what you are doing. Keep both hands on the controls."

"I am concentrating!" Luke said, starting to feel the pressure. If he didn't do this right, he was never going to hear the end of it.

"There is a space," his father said, gesturing as a speeder lifted off from the pad below.

Luke glanced at the monitor. It was a fairly simple landing area on the edge of the pad between two airvans. He brought the speeder around to hover above it and then slowly brought the vehicle down.

"You are crooked," his father said. "You would know that if you looked at the scopes."

Luke glanced up and saw his father was right. He rotated until the speeder was completely parallel to the pad.

"Now you are too far to the right," his father said, sounding weary.

Luke glanced down, and saw if he continued on his present course, he'd snag the airvan on his father's side.

"Hang on," Luke said, flying back up. If he could just get in the right position in the air, landing would be a lot easier. This time, he stared at the scopes and made small adjustments until he was lined up flush with the landing space.

"I think you are too late," his father said.

"Why?"

"You would know if you paid more attention to your surroundings."

"Look, I'm trying!" Luke said, feeling his temper fray. His father was causing him to make mistakes! This would be simple if he was by himself.

"Try harder," his father said, glancing at him. "And perhaps next time the space will still be there by the time you have finished lining up."

Luke stared out the driver's side window and saw a sleek red convertible had slipped in and stolen his space.

"_Koochoo sleemo!_" Luke yelled, banging his hand on the controls. That was all he needed.

"Luke! What have I told you about using that vile Tatooine street language?"

"That sleemo stole my space!" Luke shouted. "He could see I was lining up to land there, but no, he just had to go and take it!"

"Don't _ever_ use that language again."

"It wasn't even that bad! I know far worse."

"Then I suggest you un-know it. There is a soon to be free space on your left."

Luke glanced over and saw one of the airvans was lifting away. He set his jaw, and quickly shifted the speeder into position. There were other speeders hovering about, obviously intending to steal this space the second he showed any sign of weakness.

"This time, concentrate," his father said unhelpfully.

Luke lined the speeder up as quickly as he could and then brought it down in a single movement. Unfortunately, he wasn't flush with the pad, causing the back half of the speeder to touch down before the front. The hover system whined in protest, and a warning light flashed on the left of the steering thruster.

His father glanced out the back, assessing the situation. "You are crooked on two axes. As usual, your mind was elsewhere."

"Ah!" Luke thumped the seat in frustration.

"A temper tantrum will not solve anything," his father added in an annoyingly emotionless tone.

"Would it kill you to say something encouraging for a change? I'm sick and tired of your constant criticism of everything I do!"

"Luke, if you want to wallow in your pit of self-pity, you will do it on your own time. Now, why don't you try again?"

"You know what your problem is?" Luke suggested.

"Enlighten me, please," his father said sarcastically.

"You're just an emotionless _droid_ who doesn't feel anything."

"Because I won't pay attention to your whining about your cruel father who gives up his time to teach you to fly?"

"You haven't taught me a single thing!" Luke protested. "If I've learnt anything, it's in spite of your constant nagging."

"Two weeks ago, you claimed you didn't need anyone to teach you to fly. You already knew it all, remember? I have taught you a very important lesson. Do not be so arrogant about your abilities."

"I only said that because you expect me to be some miracle pilot! You wouldn't even agree to teach me if I was anything less!"

"What nonsense."

"Then why am I not allowed to make a single mistake?" Luke said. "Why did I have to be brilliant during my first time in the sky?"

"That is a question to ask yourself, Luke, not me. Now seeing as you clearly do not wish to continue, we are going home. I've had enough of listening to your emotional wrangling."

"Arg!" Luke shoved the accelerator, just as his father reached over to grab the brake. A horribly loud crunch followed, sending both of them lurching forward. Luke stared wide-eyed through the windscreen and felt his stomach turn. The right-corner of the speeder had crunched into the left corner of the red convertible, causing a very large dent in the side. The driver, a young male Balosar, came rushing around to inspect the damage. He stared angrily in the direction of the windscreen and started shouting something. Luke was grateful their speeder had a one-way black tint on the windows.

"Brilliant," his father said in a very dry tone.

"Are you insured?" Luke asked, nervously.

His father reached for the door, and Luke hastily pressed the autolock.

"No! Don't you dare get out!"

"When you have an accident, you must always check the damage before taking off," his father said, sounding like a textbook. "Anything falling off a speeder in mid-air is highly dangerous to those on the ground."

"I'll go," Luke said desperately. "Just don't get out! Please!"

"The other pilot appears irate," his father said.

"I can handle it!" Luke said, reaching for his door. "Stay here!"

"Then swap names and addresses with the man," his father said. "Tell him you will pay for the damage costs."

"What is our address?" Luke said. "I don't even know."

"Care of the Imperial Palace will suffice," his father said. "Hurry up."

Luke sighed and reached for the door. This was incredibly embarrassing.

As soon as the driver saw him, he groaned loudly. "I should have known! A blasted sub-adult!"

Luke walked around to the front. Given the noise of the crunch, he'd been expecting to see more damage than he did. His speeder only had a cracked casing around the front light.

"Sorry," he said, looking up at the man. "I'll pay for the -"

"Sorry isn't going to fix my baby here, is it now? Why can't you look where you're going? You idiot!"

"I'll pay for the damage!" Luke repeated, louder. "Can I have your name and address?"

"Like hell you can pay for this damage. This speeder is worth millions! It's a customized classic. Have you got a million credits on you, boy?"

"That's a SoroSuub showroom model from about three years ago," Luke said, staring at it. "Who told you it was a customized classic?"

The man launched into a long string of something in a language Luke didn't recognize.

"As I said, I'll pay for the damage," Luke repeated. "If I can just have your name and -"

"I'm going to sue your blasted parents for every credit they have!" the man yelled. "They'll regret the day they ever decided to mate!"

"Look, I -"

Before Luke could finish, the expression on the man's face changed from barely controlled rage to pure terror. Luke didn't need to turn around to guess the reason why. He could only stare at the ground and sigh.

In a second, the man had jumped into the driver's seat and launched into the sky, leaving Luke in a blast of engine exhaust.

"Great," Luke said, glancing at his father. "Now how are we supposed to get his address?"

"I don't think he wants me to know," his father said, walking around the front to see the damage for himself.

"It's fine," Luke said, glancing around nervously. Nearby landing pad patrons were already starting to stare and point at his father. "Let's just leave before we end up in the _Coruscant Enquirer_."

"They wouldn't dare," his father said. He gestured at the passenger side. "Get in. I will pilot on the way home."

Luke was too exhausted to be bothered arguing.

* * *

Having cruised around Imperial City for the last hour at a sedate pace, Vader enjoyed pushing the speeder to its limits on the way home. It was less than three minutes before they were flying back into the hangar.

"You will fix the damage to the speeder," Vader said, glancing at Luke. His son had his hand on his head and was staring out the window with a dejected expression. It was difficult to have to chide him when he was clearly already upset, but this had to be said for his son's own good. "And next time, I suggest you learn to control your anger. Such reckless displays could have far worse consequences."

Luke stared up at him with his eyes narrowed. "Did you really just tell me to control my anger?"

"I am glad you listen sometimes." Vader reversed the speeder into a parking space.

"Does any of what you say sound even the least bit hypocritical to you?" Luke asked.

"I did not say that you cannot feel angry. Such emotions will be useful to you one day. Only that you control it."

Luke stared out the window. "I want to sit the practical test tomorrow."

"You think you are ready?"

"Ready or not, I can't take any more of this."

"Perhaps it is for the best," Vader agreed. If Luke hadn't learned what he needed to know already, it was doubtful he could learn it at all. "Very well. I will have an assistant arrange it for you."

Luke left the speeder without another word.

* * *

Much later that night, Vader found himself thinking back on Luke's accusations in the speeder. Having attended several meetings and caught up on reports, he had withdrawn into his meditation chamber for some rest. Force knows he needed it after today. He had just closed his eyes and aligned himself to the energy flow around him, when he felt an unwelcome presence. Luke was still awake and leaking strong emotions into the Force like a water bucket with a hole.

It was nearing midnight. No wonder his son was so moody all the time. He didn't get enough sleep.

_Luke?_

There was no response.

_Luke, go to bed._

_I am in bed!_

_Then go to sleep._

Vader closed the link and attempted to ignore Luke's presence. It was naïve of him to have expected his agreement over this flying business would somehow improve Luke's temperament. He seemed more miserable now than when he told him he wasn't going to allow him to fly for at least another year. Because apparently his father criticized him too much. Ridiculous. If his son really wanted to know what constant criticism was, he should have tried flying the Coruscant skies with Obi-Wan in the passenger seat. Now _there_ was a constant stream of criticism.

On the occasion when it finally grew too much for him, Obi-Wan suggested that it wouldn't be necessary if he wasn't so arrogant. Couldn't he see that his youthful arrogance arose from the vast expectations that were placed on him? The only person who had ever encouraged him was Palpatine. He had lapped up every compliment he gave him like a man dying of thirst.

Vader tapped his fingers on the armrest, having a sudden, very disturbing thought. Was Obi-Wan's example affecting his own attitude to Luke? Was he responding to Luke's arrogance in the same way Obi-Wan had responded to his? Perhaps he was setting Luke up to be manipulated by someone who would see his desperate need for encouragement.

_Luke?_

There was only a muted, peaceful sense of Luke's presence now. The boy was asleep. He hadn't realized his son took his orders so seriously.

* * *

Luke had never imagined that he would be nervous on this day, this day he had dreamed about for many years. There was no reason to be nervous. He knew how to fly. There was nothing they could ask him to do which would be a problem. Except maybe the landing, but that would be a lot easier without his father sitting beside him making useless remarks.

He was pacing up and down the length of the conservatory, yet he was too preoccupied to admire the carefully arranged plants. This room was supposed to have a calming influence. So why wasn't it helping?

At the top of his pacing cycle, he found himself looking at a black wall. Closer inspection revealed it to be his father.

"What?" Luke said, quickly. "Is it time? Am I late?"

"I am going to the detention center," his father said. "I do not expect to return until this evening. Lieutenant Dorany has volunteered to take you to your appointment at the traffic control center."

"Oh," Luke said, running a hand through his hair.

"Are you nervous?" his father asked. Luke felt him stretching out with the Force to sense his emotions.

"No," Luke said, attempting to get a hold on his feelings. "I'm fine."

"There is no need to be," his father said. "You are an exceptionally talented pilot."

"Thanks," Luke said, with a touch of sarcasm. He hesitated for a moment, and then realized what his father had actually said. "Um … was that a compliment?" Luke asked, looking up in surprise.

"Yes."

It took several seconds for Luke to fully appreciate what this meant.

"You really think so?" Luke asked, studying his father for any sign of deception.

"Yes, I do."

"Thanks," Luke corrected, this time in a grateful tone. He paused and then said, "Really?"

"Yes. As long as you mind the speed limit and stop daydreaming, you will not experience any problems passing the test."

"What about yesterday?" Luke said, staring at the path below.

"I have endeavoured to forget about yesterday."

Luke smiled. "Yeah, it isn't going in my collection of most treasured memories, that's for sure. I'm sorry I shouted at you."

"Perhaps it was warranted. You were right. I do not encourage you as much as I should."

Luke stared at his father, wondering what had changed his mind. This was certainly a complete reversal from his attitude yesterday. It was hard to know what went on in his father's head half the time.

"I must depart," his father said, reaching out to give Luke an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "We will speak again later."

He turned and left, leaving Luke feeling much calmer. They'd be nothing to this little piloting test. Instead of pacing away the afternoon here, he should be down in the hangar, refuelling the speeder and making sure he was familiar with every last button and switch.

* * *

Lev was right on time to take him to his appointment at the traffic control center. He leaned back in the passenger seat and folded his arms behind his head in a mock display of relaxation. Luke grinned. He rarely saw Lev appearing in a way that even resembled informality.

"This is great having you fly me around in a first-class speeder," he said. "Are you available later? I have to pick up some reports from a naval base."

"Unfortunately, I'm still grounded," Luke said. "I'd have to get permission from he-who-must-be-obeyed."

"Ah well. We can enjoy ourselves now."

"You can," Luke said, firing up the engine. "I have to sit a test, remember?"

"You could do it blindfolded. Don't worry about it for a moment. I had to sit dozens of practical tests at the naval academy. If I can do it, you can."

"Thanks," Luke said, lifting the speeder off the hangar floor. "I hope you're right."

It was a clear day in Imperial City, and Luke blinked in the sunlight as they flew out of the hangar. Soon after, the tint on the windshield adjusted, giving him a clear view of the afternoon's traffic. He merged into a lane travelling across the city, slipping in between two massive airbuses. His father would have made some remark if he'd attempted that while he was sitting beside him, but Lev wasn't even paying attention. It was nice to feel trusted.

"Lev," Luke said, as he took up a place in the middle of the lane. "When did you decide you wanted to join the navy? Did you used to dream about it when you were a kid?"

"I wanted to be a pirate when I was a sprout."

"A pirate?" Luke laughed out loud. Lev was the last person he could see becoming a pirate.

"Then I didn't think seriously about my career again until I was a bored nineteen-year-old student studying accounting," Lev said. "There was a poster in the library recruiting for the newly renamed Imperial navy. It said 'See The Galaxy!'. I was sold."

"Did you see the galaxy?"

"Some of it," Lev said. "Are you thinking about your future?"

Luke shrugged. "Aviry started it. She said that in her culture, they believe that everyone has something they enjoy called a boon. It's what you're supposed to do in life. She thought mine was flying."

"I don't think everyone is lucky enough to have their life's meaning so clearly defined," Lev said.

"Well, she did say it could change throughout life."

"Life can take you to all kinds of places. When I was staring at that recruitment poster I never dreamed I'd end up where I am today. Sometimes you just have to do what you know is right for you and see where it takes you."

"Sometimes you just don't know what's right for you," Luke sighed.

"There's no rush to figure it out."

"I dreamed about being a pilot my entire life," Luke said. "I thought I was going to die of frustration if my father didn't let me get my license."

"How did your lessons with your father go?" Lev asked.

Luke made a noise of frustration. "He spent the entire time criticizing everything I did! Finally, he turns around this morning and says I'm an exceptional pilot. I'm still letting that settle in."

Lev grinned. "I'm glad your relationship survived."

"It nearly didn't yesterday!" Luke said. "He was making me so angry, and I ended up crashing into another person's speeder. I don't know what happened to him last night but something's changed."

"Perhaps he just needed time to think things over," Lev suggested. "The traffic center is coming up on your left."

"Oh, right."

"Left, not right," Lev said, with a grin.

Luke shook his head. "If I can survive your sense of humor, I can survive this test."

"That's the spirit."

Luke dived out of the airway and took in the massive polyhedron complex that he had last seen on a night he would rather forget. It appeared very foreboding with the sun behind it, casting a shadow over the side Luke was approaching.

"The licensing center is in gate 10A," Lev said. "The guidance system should pick up the nav beacons."

Luke glanced at the display, seeing Lev was correct. Gate 10A was in the top-right corner of the complex. He fell in behind another speeder heading in the same direction. They split up as they came closer, and Luke pitched up to enter the correct hangar. Inside, there were large holographic signs directing test applicants to a particular landing bay. It was crowded with other speeders, but there were still enough free spaces. Luke chose one with plenty of room around it.

Unfortunately, he slipped on the lift control as he brought the speeder down, causing a bump when they reached the ground. Lev was kind enough to say nothing, to Luke's relief.

When he stepped out of the speeder, he found a young Nautolan was standing a short distance away, gaping slightly.

"Wow," he said. "Nice speeder!"

"Thanks," Luke said. "It's my father's."

"I wish my parents would let me fly something like that. I have to make do with this until I can save enough for a new one." He waved a hand towards the neighbouring speeder. It reminded Luke of an old rusty landspeeder they'd owned on Tatooine, which used to lose at least one piece of metal every time the engine was turned on.

Luke offered a sympathetic grin. "Well, as long as it can take you places, it's better than nothing, right?"

"Right. And it will be taking me many places now that I have my license." The Nautolan proudly showed Luke a datachip that projected a holographic image detailing the conditions of the license, complete with an Imperial logo.

"I'm hoping to get mine," Luke said. "How was the test?"

"Tentacle-curling," he said with a grin.

"Is that the same as hair-raising?" Luke asked.

"Probably."

"I better go and face the tentacle-curling test," Luke said, seeing Lev had already started walking up a nearby flight of stairs.

"Good luck," the Nautolan called after him.

Luke ran to catch up with Lev, dodging several other people on the way. At the top of the stairs, they joined a queue at the administration desk.

"Here, give them this," Lev said, handing him a datachip. "It contains your details and booking information. I'm going to sit down."

Lev walked a short distance away and picked up a hardcopy HoloNet news printout that had been left in the base of a nearby pot plant. He then joined several other people sitting in the waiting area.

Luke shuffled his feet, wishing the queue would shorten itself faster. Why did everything he'd ever done in this building involve waiting? There was an older Twi'lek talking with the reception droid at the moment, and they seemed to be taking a fair amount of time. Luke stared at the carpet, noting it was all a dull administrative grey. Even the office plants were dull.

He glanced over at Lev and found he was chatting with a lady sitting beside him. She was smiling at Lev in a very friendly way.

"My uncle was in the navy," she was saying. "I have so much respect for everything you do, putting your lives on the line for the security of us all."

"Thank you, you're very kind," Lev said. "But I haven't been on the frontlines myself for many years."

"Is that your son?" she said, gesturing towards Luke.

"No, the son of my superior," he said. "He's getting his license today."

"I have a cousin staying with me from Corellia," the lady said. "She needs to get hers converted to a Coruscant license."

"Next, please!"

Luke glanced ahead, and realized his turn had come. He rushed up, giving the droid the datachip. It processed the data in under a minute.

"Mr Skywalker, follow the red line around to the right," the droid said. "Your testing officer will arrive shortly."

Luke nodded and then glanced back at Lev. His friend gave him a salute as a way of saying good luck. Luke grinned and then did as the droid suggested. The red line on the carpet led around to a large viewing area that overlooked the hangar down below. Luke peered down through the glass, seeing the Nautolan had gone. His speeder sat by itself, its bright colors standing out against the dull grey of the hangar. Now that he was looking from above, he could see his parking was slightly crooked. Just what he needed.

"Well, well, well!"

Luke whirled around. A masked and uniformed traffic officer stood behind him, sporting a very familiar presence.

"If it isn't Mr 'let's throw myself out of a speeder for fun'!"

"Oh stars," Luke said, rubbing his forehead. "Officer Rhy! Don't tell me you're taking me for my test?"

"Right on the first try!"

"Why?" Luke said, staring at the ceiling. "Why me?"

"Are you talking to the Force?" Rhy said. "Sorry, we can't issue a license to someone showing signs of insanity."

"Can I request someone else?" Luke asked. "You're biased against me."

"Not true. If anything, I'm biased in favor of you because I know your father is a legendary pilot. But none of that will have any effect on the result because I'm a consummate professional."

"Oh, why don't I feel better?" Luke said, sighing. "How did you end up doing this, anyway? I thought you were on the traffic patrol squad."

"Sergeant Foil found out that I didn't take you entirely seriously when you tried to tell me about you-know-what. As punishment, I have to work down here for a month."

"Sounds like a better punishment than mine," Luke said. "I'm grounded."

"I'd take being grounded any day. At least that doesn't put your life at risk. That reminds me - before we head out, I need you to sign this." Rhy handed him a form. "It just confirms that if you die or are seriously injured during this test, the Coruscant traffic department is not responsible."

"That's ridiculous," Luke said, taking the accepted lightpen. He scribbled his signature on the bottom.

"So you think. I've been doing this for three weeks, and I've had my life flash before my eyes so many times that I'm going blind. That's why I'm wearing my helmet."

"You'll be safe with me," Luke said.

"That's what a girl this morning said," Rhy said, gesturing for Luke to join him. He was walking towards a nearby elevator. "I nearly had to change my pants after flying with her."

Luke grinned, despite his nervousness, and joined Rhy in the elevator.

"Now the test has several parts," Rhy said, as they traveled down to the hangar. "First, pre-flight vehicle inspection. Then the flight test, during which we'll look at take off and landing ability, airway merging, basic airway flying, adherence to airway rules and hazard identification. Not necessarily in that order. Then we'll come back here for the debriefing."

"Okay," Luke said, carefully. "Um, how hard is it to pass?"

"If we're still alive by the end, you're already halfway," Rhy said, stepping out of the elevator. "Which one is yours?"

Luke gestured to the red and silver model, and Rhy whistled. "Nice."

"It's actually fairly average compared to the other speeders my father owns," Luke said.

"Does it have inflight HoloNet?"

Luke nodded. "And adjustable window tint."

"I think that just passes the inspection," Rhy said, ticking something off on his datapad.

"What now?" Luke said, hovering behind him, trying to see his checklist.

Rhy gestured at the pilot's side door.

"After you."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

* * *

Lev was still chatting with the woman. The printout he'd picked up earlier lay untouched on the nearby table. Luke sighed at the sight, wondering why he'd bothered coming back so soon. He'd foolishly thought his friend would have grown tired of waiting, given it was well over an hour since he'd left. Lev looked up at his arrival and then stood up to say goodbye to his new acquaintance. Luke hovered by the top of the stairs, staring at his boots. He couldn't meet Lev's gaze as he approached.

"Never mind," Lev said, reaching up to rub his shoulder. "You can sit the test again."

"How did you know I failed?" Luke said, surprised.

"You look like your energy was just sucked into a black hole. What happened?"

"I don't want to relive it," Luke said, turning away. "Let's just go home." He fished the key to the speeder out of his pocket and handed it to Lev. "Here. You fly. My piloting days are over."

"Luke!" Lev followed him down the stairs. "There's no need for that."

Luke didn't reply. He walked on ahead quickly and then waited by the passenger door. When Lev caught up, his friend noticed the dent in the back engine casing immediately.

"Oh. I see."

Luke hung his head.

"Well, if you're sure you want me to fly," Lev said.

Luke nodded and climbed into the passenger seat. Lev started the engine as soon as he was seated and then did a quick three point turn to get them out of the hangar.

He glanced over at Luke as they rose into the sky, and Luke saw the concern in his eyes.

"Lots of people fail the test," Lev said, after a few minutes. "I had a cousin who sat it five times before he passed. Some of the testing officers are very picky."

"The testing officer was the same one who arrested me for traffic diving," Luke said, distantly.

"What?" Lev slowed down slightly. "That wasn't fair. Maybe I should go back and have a chat to them."

"No!" Luke said. "I failed fair and square. It wasn't his fault." Rhy had felt almost as bad about failing him as Luke had felt about being failed.

"What happened? Did you completely panic like Threepio the last time we tested the fire alarm?"

"Well …" Luke rubbed his head. "It was all going well at first. We flew around the city a few times. I missed a few points because I went over the speed limit once or twice, and merged without signalling for long enough. But I was still passing. Then I had to demonstrate my landing ability on a pad outside Extreme Thrillzone amusement park. It was one of those landing bays where you have to come in on an angle."

"I know," Lev said.

"So I was a little nervous. Very nervous. I've messed up landing so many times. But I was sure if I just concentrated I could do it. I spent about five minutes just lining up, then cruised in using the guidance computer to try and get straight." Luke demonstrated using his hands. "Then I found I was too far above the ground, so had to sink down a bit. It was a little rough, and I was a little crooked, but he said it would do."

Luke stared out the window at the passing traffic, cringing to himself at the memory.

"I was so thrilled at having done it, I guess I felt overconfident. I shot out of the bay backwards way too fast and hit a durasteel pillar." Luke shook his head and punched his fist into the seat. "Stupid! I was too busy staring at the guidance system to bother looking behind me!"

"What did the officer say?" Lev asked, carefully.

"He said, 'Stars, that could have been a person!' and I said, 'A person would have got out of the way!' I suppose I was a little upset. Then he told me to go back to the traffic center, and I knew it was all over." Luke groaned. "How am I supposed to tell my father?"

"He'll understand."

"Understand? How would you feel if you were the greatest pilot in the galaxy, and then you had a son who couldn't reverse out of a landing bay without hitting a pole?"

"I would understand."

"Well, you're not him," Luke said. "He'll probably disown me."

"Luke, if he didn't disown you after you were arrested for traffic diving, he's not going to disown you for reversing into a pole. Keep things in perspective. So you made a mistake. It's no big deal. You'll sit the test again and you'll pass, and one day you'll laugh about this."

"I am not sitting the test again," Luke said, firmly. "I'm just not meant to fly."

"Now if anything will make your father angry, that attitude definitely will," Lev said. "You nagged him for years to let you fly."

"He'll be happy," Luke said. "He never wanted me flying in the first place."

"If that's true, then why would you think he'd be disappointed that you failed the test?"

Luke sighed. "Because he hates failure." He glanced at Lev. "You can't argue with that."

Lev didn't reply.

"He'd prefer that I never flew at all than I tried and failed," Luke said, miserably. "Even if I wanted to, he wouldn't let me sit the test again."

"Why don't we go and have some ice cream at the mall?" Lev said. "That jelly smothered chocolate stuff you like."

"I'm not hungry," Luke said, sadly. "But thanks anyway."

"All right," Lev said, turning out of the airway and diving towards the Imperial Palace. "I'll be here for another few hours if you change your mind. Then I have to go and get ready for a date."

"Oh, that's great." Luke smiled, despite his mood. "While I was suffering one of the most humiliating moments of my life, you were scoring a date."

"What can I say? Women like men in uniform. And look on the bright side. It means the afternoon wasn't a total loss."

"For you, maybe not," Luke sighed, as they came into land. "I'm going to my room. I may never come out."

* * *

Vader was surprised when he realized how late it was. He had intended to return home long before now, but he would lose valuable information if he abandoned this interrogation now. The captured Rebel had proved harder to break than the initial reports had led him to believe. The last hour had been very productive, but it would take at least another hour before he was satisfied he'd learned everything there was to know. His parental duties would have to be carried out remotely.

"I will return shortly," Vader said to the stormtrooper who was assisting.

"Yes, sir."

In the corridor outside the cell, Vader switched on his comlink and selected the frequency for the catering service droids. A droid responded immediately.

"7I8 at your service. How may I be of assistance, sir?"

"Earlier I asked you to prepare a special meal for Luke."

"Bantha steak, yes sir."

"I want you to deliver it to him now. Tell him it is to celebrate the start of his flying career."

"Yes, sir."

Vader released the call, and switched the comlink to connect to Luke's frequency. After several minutes of unanswered beeping, Vader concluded that his son was either too busy or too lazy to be bothered speaking to him. Knowing him, he was probably down in the hangar tinkering around with the speeders.

He turned to re-enter the cell, deciding there was little point trying again. There would be time later on to talk with his son.

The next hour passed productively. By the time he concluded that the prisoner was only fit for execution, he had enough information on the Rebels to keep the intelligence department busy for weeks. Some of it would no doubt prove especially useful to his own agents in the field.

All in all, it had been a reasonably good day. A few weeks ago, he had been terrified at the idea of Luke having his speeder's license. Now he was feeling almost excited on his behalf. There was a pleasure in watching Luke's discovery of the joys of flying that he'd never anticipated.

When he arrived in their personal living space, he paused outside Luke's bedroom for a moment, wondering if he should let on that he was pleased for his son. He didn't want Luke thinking he would be lenient if his son decided to misuse his new license. But perhaps they could have that particular discussion later. His son had no doubt exhausted himself with his nervousness and excitement.

Upon opening the door, he found the blinds were closed and the lights were switched off. There was a body-shaped lump in the middle of the bed, with two pillows covering the head. Vader checked the time on the bedside chronometer as he walked forward. It wasn't even 20-hundred yet. He'd certainly been right about his son exhausting himself.

"Luke," Vader said, pulling away one of the pillows.

There was no response. Becoming worried that his son might have been smothered under the bedclothes, he hastily pulled off the other pillow. Luke was lying face up and appeared to be still breathing. He opened his eyes and gave his father a quick glance.

"Hello."

Vader used the Force to turn on the lights, and Luke quickly covered his eyes with his arm.

"Ah! Warning, next time, please!"

"Did you enjoy the steak?" Vader asked.

Luke sat up on his elbows. "Oh. Thanks for the thought, but I told the kitchen droids to save it for another time."

"I thought it was your favorite food."

"It is," Luke said. He was avoiding his gaze. "But I'm really not hungry."

"Then perhaps you would prefer to do something else to celebrate your license," Vader said. "I am open to your suggestion."

Luke closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. "I have to tell you something."

"What happened?" Vader asked, beginning to understand there was something he was missing. "You didn't destroy anything, did you?" Perhaps he should have visited the hangar bay first.

"I have good news and bad news," Luke admitted.

"What is the good news?"

"I'm never flying again," Luke said.

Vader wondered if his hearing implants were malfunctioning.

"The bad news is that I failed the test," Luke mumbled in a rush of words.

Considering he still managed to understand that sentence, Vader had to conclude that his hearing was very much attuned.

"You _failed_ your license?" he repeated in disbelief. "Let me guess. You forgot about that important thing called a speed limit?"

"Look this is bad enough without you lecturing me," Luke said, his voice breaking slightly as if he was near tears. "Please, just leave me alone."

"So you failed your license, and now you are giving up flying," Vader said, derisively. He sat down on the bed, on an angle so he was facing Luke. "I find that hard to believe. You are too stubborn to give up so easily."

"Why do you always have to insult me and disguise it as a compliment?" Luke asked.

"You love flying," Vader continued, ignoring Luke's remark. "With every last cell in your body." Luke started to open his mouth. "Don't argue with me," Vader added, pointing at Luke. His son quickly closed it. "Now, I am willing to help you pass this test if you will let me. Where did you go wrong?"

"I hit a pole," Luke mumbled.

"Why?"

"Because I was staring at the guidance computer like you told me!"

"Was the pole not present on the guidance computer?"

"I don't know. Maybe. Or maybe I'm just not cut out to be a pilot."

"Where did you get this intolerant attitude to failure?" Vader demanded.

"I can't imagine," Luke said.

Vader did not miss the sarcasm. It took him a moment to understand Luke's point.

"I never said you were not allowed to fail the test."

"You assumed I passed," Luke countered.

"Because I overestimated your ability to park."

"After I crashed into that other speeder outside the mall?"

"You gave me the impression that your problems were due to my presence."

"I thought they were," Luke admitted. "I guess I was wrong."

"Come on," Vader said, standing up. "Tonight you are going to park properly if it is the last thing I do."

"I don't know if I can take your constant criticism tonight," Luke protested.

"Very well. I will refrain. But I reserve the right to tell you where you are going wrong, or you will never learn."

"All right, but specific things," Luke said, standing up. "Telling me to focus and concentrate doesn't help!"

Vader gestured for Luke to exit the room first. His son hesitated briefly and then moved past him. When they reached the elevator, Luke looked up.

"I haven't fixed the dent in the speeder yet."

"How hard did you hit this pole?"

"I guess it wasn't really a pole," Luke said. "It was a durasteel pillar holding up the roof of the landing bay."

"Never mind. I would not have let you fly that speeder if I was going to overreact about every bump and scrape." He stared down at Luke. "But do not take that as an invitation."

When they arrived in the hangar bay, he had the opportunity to inspect the damage for himself. It was more of a glancing dent, and the shape indicated Luke had been reversing at the time.

"Where were you parked when this occurred?" Vader asked, staring at Luke across the roof of the speeder.

"The landing bay outside Extreme Thrillzone amusement park," Luke said. He raised his hands. "I'm not going back there. The security guards will recognize me."

"We will find somewhere suitable," Vader said, climbing into the passenger seat.

His son hesitated for a moment, before firing up the engine. Then, for someone who had claimed a short while ago that he would never fly again, he flew very quickly out of the hangar bay. He was handling the controls with the confidence of someone far more experienced.

"I've never flown at night before," Luke said.

"There are many conditions you are yet to experience. It will take time. Fortunately, there is little extreme weather you need to worry about on Coruscant."

"I drove the landspeeder in a sandstorm on Tatooine once," Luke said. "Uncle Owen and I were on our way back from Anchorhead when it hit. You couldn't see anything but sand on all sides. But somehow, I managed to get us home. Good sense of direction, I guess."

"How old were you?" Vader asked, surprised.

"About ten or eleven."

"And your uncle let you drive?"

"He didn't have a choice," Luke said. "He'd broken his wrist when he fell off a ladder and Aunt Beru was sick. We needed supplies."

More evidence of his son's latent Force abilities. He would have liked to explain to Luke that it was the Force that guided him home that day, rather than his sense of direction, but such a thing could cause his son to attempt to use his powers. The Emperor would not allow that. But perhaps there was a way he could use that latent ability to help his son anyway.

"There is a suitable landing pad," Vader said, gesturing down. It was lit up brightly and there were several speeders leaving and landing.

"That's a holomovie theatre," Luke said. "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Luke dived, then leveled out as they approached. He stopped a short distance away from the pad.

"Where should I park?" His tone was nervous.

"You choose," Vader said.

Luke moved forward slowly until he was hovering over a group of three empty spaces. He started to lower the speeder, but Vader reached out to stop him.

"Switch off that guidance computer."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"How am I supposed to line up without the guidance computer?"

"I will let you in on a secret, Son. I have never used a guidance computer in my life."

"You haven't flown at the speed limit in your life, either," Luke said with a grin. He obediently switched off the computer.

"Now look out the window and eyeball it, as we say in combat. Trust your instincts."

Luke leaned forward so he could see the pad below. After a few brief maneuvers, the speeder was lined up directly over the center space. A moment later, they touched down smoothly, level with the ground.

"Good," Vader said, simply.

"Wait," Luke said, staring around. "There must be something wrong. It can't be that easy!"

"It was only difficult because you were making it difficult," Vader said. He tapped his fingers on the seat for a moment, idly thinking that he sounded like Obi-Wan. Still, it was an accurate observation.

"Let's try again," Luke said, excitedly. "A harder one!"

"Very well," Vader said, leaning back. His work here was done.

* * *

A week later, Luke found himself once again climbing the stairs of the Coruscant Airway licensing office. Despite a week of practice that had left him with far more confidence in his abilities, he still felt mynocks buzzing around in his stomach. Lev, beside him, was humming an advertising jingle they'd heard on the HoloNet during the flight over.

"You know, I had to insist on being the one to accompany you here today," Lev said. "After the other officers heard about my date last weekend, they all wanted to come. Who would have thought the licensing office was a good place to meet people?"

"I'm here for one reason only," Luke said.

"Good luck with that," Lev said, straightening his hat.

"Thanks," Luke said. "I'll see you after."

"You know where I'll be," he said, gesturing towards the waiting area.

There was no queue at the licensing desk, and Luke walked straight up to the waiting droid. It accepted his datachip, and after some processing time, it spoke.

"Mr Skywalker, follow the red line around to the right. Your testing officer will arrive shortly."

"You said the same thing when I was here last week," Luke said.

"My programmer was unoriginal," the droid explained.

"Thanks," Luke said, smiling at the droid. He followed the red line as suggested. Rhy was already waiting for him.

"Well, look who's come back to try and kill me again," he said. "I've been dreading this all day."

"Someone else could have tested me," Luke said. "Unless you drew a short straw?"

"Considering some of the alternatives, I decided you were least likely to kill me," he said, "which says more about the other license candidates that your abilities."

"Don't worry about my abilities," Luke said, grinning. "I'm ready this time. Ready as ready can be."

"I'll decide who's ready and who isn't," Rhy said, in a tone of mock indignation. He gestured to the exit. "Come on, short-stuff."

* * *

Vader sensed Luke's arrival in the vicinity shortly after the start of his meeting with an admiral and a diplomat who had recently returned from the Higemon system. A moment later, his son arrived outside the door to the conference room, indicating he was moving very fast. He barely had time to berate himself for not posting guards outside when Luke came bursting in.

"Guess what? Guess what? Guess what!" he shouted. "I've got my license!" He held it up. "I passed the test! I've got my license!"

He grinned widely and then noticed that they weren't entirely alone.

"Oh," he said, staring at the officers. "Hello. Um, can you excuse us for a moment?"

"Excuse _us_?" Vader asked, amused despite himself.

"I need to ask you something," Luke said, dropping his voice to a conspiratorial tone.

Vader briefly considered his options for a moment and then conceded he had none. As usual, the needs of the galaxy would have to wait for Luke's convenience. He walked towards the door, pushing his son ahead of him on the way. Once they were alone in the corridor, Vader turned to his son expectedly.

"So, I understand you have your license," he said.

Luke smiled, staring at the floor. "Sorry for barging in like that. I was just excited."

"To put it mildly."

"So, I was wondering?" Luke said.

"Yes?"

"Seeing as you're the best father in the galaxy …"

"So I've heard."

"And I'm your favorite son …"

"On occasion."

"And I've been grounded for a whole month now, and you did say you'd reconsider in a month."

"So you've had your license for less than an hour, and now you want to go for a joyride in one of my speeders?"

"I want to go over to Ben's," Luke said. "Just to show him my license. And maybe we'll go for a short ride. A short, safe, speed-limited ride."

"I will have to think about it," Vader said.

"Okay, but if you say yes now, I won't hug you."

"Go," Vader said quickly. He waved a hand in the direction of the hangar. "Just be home for dinner."

"Thank you!" Luke called, already running down the corridor. "Get that bantha steak out of the freezer!"

Vader released a weary breath. Why did he feel like he'd just let a giant clawbird free in the Coruscant skies?

* * *

Ben had been suitably impressed with his new license. Unfortunately, it had taken at least an hour to convince him to trust him enough to go for a ride. Once they were airborne, though, Ben had to concede that this new development had a lot of potential. They ended up visiting several hologaming centers that were previously too far off any airbus route to bother with, and finally doing something that Luke had wanted to do for years. Going to a fly-through restaurant.

He arrived home a little later than he'd planned, hence why he was now feeling a little sheepish as he entered the conference room. It didn't look good to be pushing the boundaries on his first day of freedom. But it was only twenty minutes after his usual eating time.

"Hi," Luke said.

His father was sitting on the far side of the table, reading a report. He looked up at his entrance.

"Still alive, I see."

"Alive and hungry," Luke said, grinning. He pulled out a chair opposite, and glanced at the door, wondering when the kitchen droid was going to show up. He'd requested his meal during the elevator ride on the way here.

"So," he said, looking back at his father, "is it all right if I take a speeder to school from now on?"

"Very well. But I do not want you flying outside Imperial City without my permission."

"Okay," Luke said. "Can I take a different speeder every day?"

"Stick to the one you have already dented for now," his father said.

"I fixed that dent," Luke protested. "It's as good as -"

The door to the conference room slid open at that point, and Luke turned in anticipation. As expected, it was a droid with his bantha steak. In less than a minute, he was enjoying the first mouthful.

"This tastes great!" Luke said. He paused to pour sauce over it and then said, "Luke Skywalker, pilot! This is the best day of my life." He refrained from saying anything more until he'd munched his way through a quarter of it. When he paused for a drink, he glanced up at his father. "I guess I should thank you."

"For putting up with your moods?" his father asked. He was still focused on his monitor and appeared only half listening.

"Yeah, for that," Luke said, reluctantly. "And for letting me get my license, and teaching me to fly, but mostly for not letting me quit flying last week." He chewed through another mouthful, thinking. "You know, I thought you'd be the last person to want to talk me back into flying."

"This may be a revelation to you, Son, but I do not enjoy sensing your misery. Besides, I do not believe you ever really wanted to give up on flying."

Luke was silent, thinking it over. He finished the steak within ten minutes and then started sipping the juice.

"Do you think," Luke asked, suddenly, "that there's one thing that every person has that they're supposed to do?"

"Like a destiny?"

"Not really," Luke said. "More like an activity that makes you happy unlike anything else. Aviry said on Zolan it's called a boon. She thought mine was flying. I thought she was right at first, but then when I failed the test, I thought I had been completely mistaken. That's when I wanted to quit. I thought it wasn't what I was supposed to be doing."

"I imagined it was something as ridiculous as that," his father said, turning to regard him.

"So you don't believe there is such thing as a boon?" Luke asked.

"It sounds like a solid enough idea. But from the description you gave, it is only something that fulfils you. Not a test that you are immune to fail at. Hence it was ridiculous to imagine that not succeeding all the time meant flying was not your boon."

"But if something is your boon, you should be good at it," Luke said. "It would be pretty twisted if you were terrible at the one thing you enjoyed doing over anything else."

"I think one would naturally follow from the other," his father said. "If you enjoyed flying, you would work hard at becoming a good pilot."

"Did you have to work hard to become as good as you are now?" Luke asked.

"Yes. Not only to learn to fly, but to keep in practice. The natural talent we share can only take you so far. The rest is sheer hard work."

"Is it really work when you enjoy it?" Luke wondered.

"Sometimes one enjoys the results far more than the work," his father said, staring at the monitor. "I am leaving for the Mony system tomorrow afternoon. They have attacked an Imperial base."

"Oh," Luke said. "What will you do?"

"What I must," his father said, distantly.

"Will you be flying in combat?"

"It depends on which plan of action I choose to go with." His father gestured to the screen. "Mind your curfew while I am gone. And fly safely."

"Sure," Luke said, standing up. "I better leave you to it. "

"Goodnight, Son."

"Night, Father," Luke said.

He'd barely taken two steps out of the room when he stopped. There was a question he'd been meaning to ask for weeks, and he'd just missed the ideal opportunity. He debated whether or not to interrupt and then decided there was nothing for it. If his father was going away tomorrow, this could be the last opportunity for a while. He turned around, and the doors slid open invitingly. His father looked up when he returned.

"If you had a boon, what do you think it would be?" Luke asked, quickly. "Flying?"

"You returned just to ask that?"

Luke shrugged and smiled in anticipation.

"It is a very personal question," his father said, leaning back in the seat and tapping his fingers together.

"Considering Aviry told you about my personal life, I think you owe me something."

"Very well. I have found being a father is the most rewarding experience in my life to date."

Luke stared at his father, wondering if he was serious.

"You mean," Luke said, slowly, "you enjoy being a father more than being a Sith? More than ruling the Empire? Even more than _flying_?"

"Yes."

"I thought I drove you crazy."

"You do. Sheer insanity is probably why I imagine being a father is rewarding. Fortunately, there is not a test."

"Come on, you'd pass," Luke said, smirking. "Maybe not the first few dozen times, but you'd get there eventually."

"Your faith in me is unshakable," his father said, dryly. "I think I may change my mind about you flying to school."

"You misheard me," Luke said, hastily. "I said you'd pass first time."

"Of course."

* * *

_The End_


End file.
